Saving Sam
by Clydell Humphries
Summary: Kaity Fisher is shocked and confused to find herself stuck 50 years in the past. When Professor Layton helps her out, she finds a friend in Flora, and even love in that time. But why is she there is the first place, and what will it take to return home?
1. A Very Important Day

**I know there's a lot of Layton fanfics where somebody from our world gets sucked into his world, but this is different, I promise. You'll see ;) Anyway, let's just say that for the sake of this story, the Professor Layton game doesn't exist. Like I said, you'll see later on what I mean.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Professor Layton or any of it's characters.**

* * *

I sighed as I slowly got out of bed. It had been a terrible night's sleep and to make matters worse, it was a big day.

An important day. A day that no matter what, I could NOT stuff up.

It would be my head if did something wrong, or if anything went wrong, whether or not it was my fault. But, I guess the beginning would be the best place to start.

It was Uncle Sam's wedding today. He's like a father to me, after both my parents were killed in a car crash. It's the first time he's been engaged, and personally, I think he rushed into it. Like he wouldn't get another chance at it ever again. In a way he wouldn't, though. Not a chance like _this._ Her name was Sarah. And if I had to describe her in one word, horrible would be it. Not that Sam knew. He treated her like a Goddess.

I will admit, she was pretty. Except for the eyes. They scared me, they just seemed to have no end, going on and on forever, into the depths of darkness. But he hadn't seen the_ real_ her. Nobody had but me. I have no idea why, but she hated me. Her voice drilled into me like nails on a black board.

"Don't touch that!" she snapped whenever I got close to any of Sam's possesions. He was fine with me examining his oddities in our house, but she on the other hand hated it. "I don't want your dirty, little hands ruining them!"

I was seventeen, so how could I be considered little? And as for dirty, my hands were perfectly fine. I had never broken anything in my life, and I was always extra careful with things that weren't mine. So why did she hate me?

Uncle Sam realized something was wrong. So what did he do? He somehow convinced her to ask me to be her bridesmaid. Which brings me back to the situation at hand. She had practically threatened that if I made a mistake, I would regret it for the rest of my life. So today had to go perfectly.

Or else...

* * *

"Move faster, Kaity!" Sarah hissed. I shuddered at the sound of her voice, quickly picking up my pace. We were walking down the aisle, toward Sam and the best man. Ever since I had arrived that morning, she had found countless things to criticize about me. How I looked like a hooker with that much make up on (I had less on than her, trust me), or how my dress was too crumpled, or even how her hair was done wrong! It wasn't my fault that not everything was too her liking.

"Are you listening to me? Hurry up!" Sarah snapped once again. I kept on going even faster. Soon we reached Sam. He gave me a comforting smile. I returned a small one, and moved out of the way to reveal his bride. He smiled happily. She smiled back, but it wasn't a real one. It was a fake one, like somebody had just glued it to her face. It had no meaning behind it.

"Ladies and gentleman, we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of this lovely couple, in holy matrimony." the priest said. I only half listened to him, my mind elsewhere. How could he love her? Why couldn't he see past her disguise? What did she really want from him? Not kids, definitely. She stayed clear away from them.

Love, maybe? No, she'd make more of an effort if that were the case. What was the real reason?

_I can tell you that... _a strange voice said. I looked up in surprise. Who had said that?

_I am here, yet not here. You can't see me, _the voice said. It was like the voice in my head, the one that I hear my thoughts in. Yet it seemed to have a mind of its own.

_If you want, I can tell you everything you need to know. As long as you answer this puzzle... _the voice told me. I took a deep breath. Was this for real?

_What is it? _I asked back in my head. I felt stupid talking to myself like this, what was wrong with me?

_Keep in mind, there is no going back until you've completed the task. You have until he says "I do" to solve the puzzle. Are you sure? _the voice asked.

_Yes. Now tell me the riddle. _I ordered, feeling like an complete doofus.

_I am what I am, but if you know what I am, I am not longer what I am. Guess, what am I?_ the voice asked me, slowly and clearly.

"I do." Sarah said, smiling her fake smile. The priest began asking Sam the same questions. I begin to panic. It made no sense!

_Think about it... _the voice told me. I looked around.

"I am what I am..." I murmured, repeating the riddle. The words bounced back and fourth in my head, not making any sense at all. I began thinking about it logically.

_If you know what I am, I am no longer what I am... _did that mean it was a question of some sort? But if it was a question, that would mean the voice had given me a question. But it wasn't. It was...

"A puzzle..." I whispered, just as my uncle's lips formed to make the words. A brilliant flash of white light came before my eyes, completely blinding me. I try to breath, but I couldn't. My body seemed disconnected from me, like it was broken down. Then suddenly, I felt the thud as I landed somewhere. I tried to open my eyes, but they seemed too heavy. I saw the darkness around me as I fell into a strange and uneasy sleep.

* * *

**There you go. You probably have no idea what's happening, do you? It's ok, you'll find out soon enough. Layton next chapter, I promise. If you liked it, I hope you'll continue reading!**

**Sorry, short chapter, but it was more of an epilogue I guess.**


	2. Where Am I?

I wanted to keep on sleeping, to be lost in my dreams forever, but I knew I had to get up eventually. Something didn't feel right, but. Like I had forgotten something, something important. Then it clicked. Uncle Sam's wedding!

But wait, I had already gotten up for that, I remembered walking down the aisle! So where was I now?

I half opened one of my eyes to see the church. I closed them, relaxing. Everything was ok, I had just fallen asleep in the church.

My head snapped up quickly in panic. The church!

"What the heck am I doing in the church?" I asked myself in shock. Had I blacked out here? Why hadn't anybody helped me?

I stood up, feeling dizzy. I examined the room around me. It seemed different to last time. Nobody was there, for one. I headed outside quickly. There was a priest there, about to enter with another wedding party.

"Excuse me," I asked, "would you know where the wedding party from twelve o'clock went?" The priest looked at me funny.

"It's six o'clock now," he said in a matter-of-fact voice, "and this is the only wedding for today." he told me. I looked around in confusion. Something was wrong... I was outside the church, yet not outside the church. Everything was different. The streets nearby looked so... strange, as well as the people walking up and down them. They were dressed in posh like clothes, clothes that my grandparents would have worn. They looked at me in disgust. I wondered what was wrong, until I realized. My dress was up past my knees slightly, and compared to the rest of the people around me...

I looked like a hooker in this world. Great.

I began walking, wondering where on earth I was. Or if I was even on earth, I really wasn't too sure anymore. How had I come here? Then I remembered the voice.

"Why have you sent me here? Where am I?" I whispered.

_You asked to be sent here, remember? _ the voice told me, _As for where you are, you haven't left. _ I sighed, trying to remember what had happened.

I remembered watching Sam and Sarah being wed...

_Sam._ His name brought a lump in my throat. Where was he? I continued walking, trying to remember the events of yesterday, but it all seemed hazy. All I remembered was wondering why Sarah was going to marry my uncle. Then the voice...

Had the voice, whatever it was, sent me here, where ever here was, for the sole purpose of finding out why Sarah wanted to marry him? I certainly couldn't rule out the possibility. But it seemed too far fetched to be real.

But of course! None of this was real, it was all only a dream! I almost laughed with relief, trying to wake myself up. I looked around me, wondering how I could force myself awake.

"Hey, girly?" a mans voice asked. I turned around to see an uneasy figure behind me, in the shadows. His very presence filled me with fear. "You're coming with me." he ordered.

"Excuse me?" I asked politely, wondering when I would wake up. The man stepped out of the shadows a little more, and I noticed that he reeked of alcohol. Wait, I could smell?

"You heard me. You're not out in the streets wearing something like that for no reason. How much do you want?" he asked. Oh God. He was asking me to...

"Sorry." I told him, my voice cracking, "There's been a mistake." His eyes narrowed.

"I'm not in the mood for games, sweetheart." he told me gruffly, "Hurry up, I haven't got all day." He reached out to grab me, but I began running as fast as I could. I ended up in a dead end, questions pouring though my head.

How could I smell if this was a dream? Why was everything so realistic? Why-

"Ah!" I yelped, tripping over. I managed to break my fall with my hand, which was now throbbing painfully. I groaned.

_Pain._ The one sign that this wasn't a dream.

"Shoot!" I exclaimed. Where was I? I examined my hand. It had a deep gash in it that was bleeding heavily. I sighed and wrapped my dress around it. Sarah wouldn't be happy about it. She would yell at me for ruining my dress and collapsing in the middle of her wedding ceromony. How was it my fault?

Well... this time it was my fault. Everything was my fault.

I suddenly remembered the man. I stayed silent, listening for any sounds of footsteps. To my immense relief, there weren't any. I eventually pulled myself up, looking at the sky. It was getting dark, too dark. I had to find somewhere safe for the night. I peeked my head out to see if the man was there. He wasn't, but I spotted somebody else. A member Scotland Yard. I sighed in relief, surely they would understand. I walked up to them.

"Excuse me?" I asked, my voice weak. The man turned around and took one look at me.

"Not interested." he told me, turning away.

"Please listen to me!" I begged, "I need help!"

"I'm married and like I said before, not interested." the man repeated. I sighed, seeing this was getting nowhere. Did I really look like that bad in this place? I walked in the other direction, hoping to find somewhere I could stay the night.

Somewhere that didn't judge a book by it's cover.

* * *

I sat down, exhausted and at the point of tears. Every place I had gone to thought I had other intentions, calling me rude names and telling me to get out. I curled up into a ball, leaning against an old brick building, and let the tears flow.

My hand still hurt terribly. The blood had stopped flowing considerably, but not before it had stained a large part of my dress. I groaned, shutting my eyes tightly. I just wanted to go home.

"Excuse me, miss?" a friendlier voice asked. I opened my eyes and looked up to see a man in a dark coat and a top hat above me. I gave a half smile.

"Hey." I said weakly, not even bothering to think of why he was talking to me. I was too tired to care.

"Are you alright, my dear?" he asked, taking a step forward. I shook my head.

"Not really. But it's my fault I'm here." I told him. It really was. I should never have solved that puzzle. He looked at me in concern.

"I don't think it's appropriate for a young lady such as yourself to be out on the streets at this time of night." he told me, "Would you like to come back to my house?" I sighed. Yep, just another person trying to drag me in.

"No! I'm not..." I told him, burying my head further in my arms, more tears coming. I had somehow thought this man would be different, in fact I'd hoped. But he just wanted one thing.

"I didn't mean it like that, I assure you." he told me quickly, blushing slightly, "I would never take advantage of somebody like that. What I mean is that it looks like you need help, and it's any gentleman's duty to help somebody in need." I nodded, confused. Why would he want to help me? He noticed my hand and gasped. "You're bleeding!" he exclaimed in shock. I nodded.

"It doesn't hurt too badly..." I assured him. He shook his head.

"I can't leave you out here, it will get infected." he told me, "I can clean the wound for you and help you for tonight. You'll get sick if you stay out here." He looked at my fearful eyes and lowered his voice, "I swear on my life, I will not hurt you." The way he said it... it made me believe that he was telling the truth. That I could trust him.

I nodded, standing up. He looked at me, smiling. "My name is Hershel Layton."

"Kaity." I said, "Kaity Fisher." For the first time that day, I felt safe.

* * *

**There you are, Layton, just as I promised. This is not a Kaity/Layton story, it is under the genre "romance" for another reason.**


	3. Puzzles

The car drive back the Hershel's house was a long one. Well, it felt longer because of the deafening silence surrounding us. Neither of us spoke. I wanted to say something, anything! But my head was filled with even more questions than before.

Just who exactly was this man? Was he related to the situation at all, or was he just being friendly? I kept on sneaking glances at him, but I didn't really see much. I sighed.

This man, Hershel, was the least thing on my mind. There were so many other issues... like where was I. The voice had told me I was in the same place I had left, but I couldn't be in London. Everything was so different! Besides, what did a voice know? All it did was transport me to this stupid place.

_You asked me to..._ it said. I sighed, the voice was right. I had asked for it. Stupid, stupid Kaity. Why do you always have to over think things! And why were you talking to a voice in your head?

"We're here." Hershel told me, pulling up to a nice house. It was identical to the ones around it, but it was different in other ways. There was a small garden out the front and little decorations in many places. It made it feel more like home.

"Thanks." I muttered, hopping out of the car. He watched me carefully, almost in interest. I looked away, embarrassed. He opened the door and gestured for me to come inside. I did, looking at my surroundings.

The first thing I noticed was how neat it was. Much cleaner than my bedroom at home. Everything seemed to be in the right place... it was perfect.

The second thing I noticed was that it was like my uncle's study in a way. Full of strange little artifacts. I longed to examine them, to pick them up and take a closer look, but I knew better. I didn't want another Sarah on my hands.

"You have a really nice house, Mr Layton." I told him. He smiled, but put his forfinger on his lips.

"I expect my children will be asleep by now," he explained, "I wouldn't want to wake them." I nodded, looking at the grandfather clock in front of me. It was only 8:30, how could they be asleep? I usually went to bed past midnight, much to Sarah's disgust.

"We'd best get that hand cleaned up." he told me. He lead me into the dining room.

* * *

After my hand was bandaged, he made me some hot chocolate. We sat down, both of us silent. I saw him look at me a few times, the same expression he had before when he saw me get out of the car. One of interest and curiosity.

"Now," he said after a while. My heart fell slightly, I was scared what he would ask me. "I would like to know some answers, if you don't mind." I sighed.

"It depends what you want to know." I told him, "I don't understand half of it myself."

"It's ok, I'm only curious about one thing, really." he assured me, "What is a young lady such as yourself doing out in the streets at this time of night? Don't you have a home to go back to?" That was a good question, what was I doing? And where exactly _was_ home? I sighed.

"It's a really long story, and you'll think I'm crazy." I told him. He smiled slightly.

"Try me." he suggested, "I've seen many strange things in my lifetime." I hesitated, then shook my head.

"I'm sorry, but I need to sort things out in my own head first. I have no idea where I am, or why." Well, I knew why, kind of. He nodded.

"This is London, if that helps." he told me, "I have a guest room that would do for the night. It's already made up, I had a friend stay with me recently." I nodded.

"Thanks, Mr Layton." I said gratefully.

"Please, call me Hershel. Or Professor, either of the two is fine." he told me.

"Professor?" I asked. He smiled.

"I work at Gressenheller University as a teacher of archeology." he told me, "But my true passion is puzzles." I froze at that, my mind in shock. _Puzzles. _He looked at me. "Kaity?" he asked, worried. I came back to reality. I needed to check something.

"Puzzles like "What am I" such?" I asked.

"Yes, but there are others." he explained, "You look like a smart girl, I'll show you some tomorrow. Perhaps you'll be good that them." I nodded. He took a deep breath. "Before we retire for the night, I wish to know one more thing." I nodded, half knowing what he was going to ask. "You're not a... prostitute, are you?"

"No." I said firmly. He sighed in relief.

"Good, because I'd hate for somebody your age to be forced into an option like that. I apologize for that comment. It's just... the way you're dressed... it would give people the wrong idea, even if we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover."

"I know." I told him, "Nobody would help me before. Thank God you came along when you did, I'd almost given up hope." He smiled at the comment.

"How exactly did you cut your hand?" he asked. I shuddered, wanting to tell him only that I tripped, not the details. But I told him the whole story, because I trusted him. He shook his head after I explained it all.

"I can't believe some people." he muttered, "It's sick." I nodded, not wanting to remember the close call. I yawned.

"I think I'm tired." I said stupidly, immediately regretting it after he chuckled.

"Of course, I'll show to to your room." the Professor said, "It sounds like you've had a long day." He got that bit right.

"Thanks." I told him.

* * *

I lyed in my bed for a very long time, just thinking. So this was still was London... yet it wasn't. The answer to everything was on the tip of my tongue, I just knew it.

If this was London, then it must be on a different planet. I mean, everything was so different! People spoke differently, they dressed differently... it was weird! They spoke English though, and it wasn't not like they didn't understand things that were in my world.

Except short dresses and make up.

But it seemed like they were normal people. Except they all dressed like my grandpa.

In fact... ever since I'd been here I hadn't seen one mobile phone or other modern technology. How strange.

Unless...

No. No no no no no no no no. I wouldn't be... that was a stupid suggestion!

Yet it was the most logical one I'd had all day.

I quickly and carefully stepped out of my bedroom, heading downstairs. I found myself in the living room, where a fire was burning softly. I searched frantically around for a newspaper... diary... anything! Then I saw it. On a wall, there was a calendar. The date almost made my heart stop.

_March 15th, 1960_

I stared at it in shock, not moving a muscle. No...

I'd travelled back in time. 50 years to be precise.

"Kaity?" the Professor's voice asked from behind me, concerned, "Are you ok?" I turned around, still feeling numb.

Then I fainted.

* * *

**Did you guys guess that she travelled back in time? It was kinda obvious, wasn't it... **

**I looked on some websites and it they said the Professor Layton games were set around about 1960's... so that's the year I'm gonna use.**


	4. I Believe You

_I looked at my uncle, tears in my eyes._

_"They're gone..." I wailed softly, sobbing even harder. He pulled me into a close hug, rocking me gentle._

_"It'll be ok, sweetheart." he told me softly, "I promise." I wanted to yell, to scream. To blame him for everything. But I knew I couldn't._

_"How do you know?" I asked him, "You've never lost anybody!" He stayed silent for a moment._

_"I lost somebody very special, actually." he told me, "Somebody whom I loved dearly."_

_"Who was she?" I asked curiously, wanting to know more. He gave me a half smile._

_"I was very younge, Kaity." he told me, "And when I say lost her, I mean she moved away. Far away. But she was beautiful. The most beautiful person I'd ever met."_

_"How old were you?" I asked. He sighed. _

_"I was only thirteen at the time. But I felt like I was old enough to understand things like that. One thing I do know though... she was perfect. Her laugh was like birds singing in the morning..."_

_"What was her name, Uncle Sam?" I asked curiously._

_"Mary..." he cooed softly, "Mary Belliting."_

_"Did she love you back?" I asked him. He nodded._

_"She told me quite often that she did."_

_"Why don't you get married?" I asked him, "You're 55. You should be married by now."_

_"Once I find the right girl, I will get married." he told me, "Not a moment sooner."_

_

* * *

_

"Kaity? Kaity!" a frantic voice asked. I woke up with a start, looking around me. Where was I? How did I get here? What happened?

Memories of the following day flooded into my mind, one in particualar.

_March 15th, 1960_

Great. It was real. So was the man hovering over me.

"Are you ok?" the Professor asked in a worried tone. I nodded weakly, sitting up. Strange thoughts swirled around in my mind, bouncing back and fourth. I had a terrible headache. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I might never see Sam again... I tried to wipe them, but I started sobbing quietly. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked again. I took a few deep breaths and nodded, trying to calm myself down. I nodded, looking around. I noticed two other people in the room, a girl in a light pink dress with brown hair. She had big brown eyes and a comforting smile. I guessed she was around my age. The second person was a boy. He had a blue cap, as well as a blue jumper. He would have been about twelve. He looked at me curiously.

"Who's that, professor?" he asked.

"This is Kaity. She will be staying with us for a while." he told them, "Kaity, this is Luke and Flora, my children."

"Hi." I muttered. Luke went out of the room to get ready for school. The Professor went with him. That just left me and Flora. I gave a half smile, but my heart wasn't in it. Tears continued flowing down my cheeks.

"Are you ok?" she asked me. I sighed and nodded.

"Just wanna go home." I mumbled. She looked at me.

"The Professor could drive you back, I'm sure he wouldn't mind." she told me. I sighed again.

"It's a little more complicated than that." I told her.

"Do you live far away?" Flora asked, confused.

"Sort of."

"Flora, you'd best get ready for school. we're leaving in five minutes." the Professor called. She sighed.

"I'd better go. Bye!" I gave a slight wave, but stayed in my seat.

* * *

Once the Professor had dropped Luke and Flora at school, he came into the living room. He looked at me with concerned eyes. I knew he was going to ask me some questions.

"What were you dreaming about last night?" he asked me. This question caught me off guard.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked. He sighed.

"You spoke in your sleep." he told me. Great, now he thought I was even more of a freak.

"Do you know what I said?" I questioned.

"I didn't catch all of it, but you said something about your parents." he answered. "Then you started crying." I put my head in my hands, trying not to cry anymore than I already had. At any mention of my parents, I would usually burst into tears. I missed them so much...

Sarah always used this to her advantage. Whenever she took something of mine away from me, she always said,

"What are you going to do? Complain to your _parents?_" It worked everytime, making me silent.

"It's nothing." I told him, swallowing hard, "I just need a moment."

"Would you like me to make you some tea?" he offered. I nodded. He left the room. As soon as he was gone, I closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths.

'Calm down.' I told myself. It didn't work too well though. I felt my body tremble. I took a few more deep breath, not thinking about it. The stinging behind my eyes went away, just as the Professor came in.

"I think maybe you should explain things to me." he suggested, "I think you've got it all figured out." I sighed. I didn't have much of a choice, he had been so nice to me.

"I'm not really sure where to start..." I told him. "I guess from the very, very beginning would work."

"Yes, the more I know the more I can help." the Professor told me. I nodded.

"Well, when I was nine, my parents died in a car accident." I told him. He looked down.

"I'm sorry to hear that." he murmured, "Things such as that are terrible misfurtunes." I nodded, wanting to get past that part.

"Ever since then, I've been living with my uncle Sam, who is my father's older brother. But he is getting old." I said. I still wastn't sure if I should be speaking in past or present tense, "He was 63 when I... left. He was always so nice to me. He stayed by me when things got tough." I felt a lump in my thoat thinking about Sam, but I tried to push it aside. "And then _she_ came." I snuck a glance at the Professor. He seemed interested, so I continued.

"Around Sam, Sarah was so different. Nicer. But it was all fake. Toward me, she was terrible. She hated me, and I have no idea why. But anyway, Sam was under her spell. He was sixty two, and I think he thought this was his last chance at love. She was only forty. I'm not sure why she chose him, but I know for a fact that she doesn't love him. She wants something from him... I just know it."

"Love works in mysterious ways." the Professor commented, "Perhaps she really does love him."

"I know that she doesn't." I told him. I searched for the right words, "It's like... I have a feeling in my bones, but much stronger." He gave a small smile.

"Intuition." he told me, "I have one myself." I smiled. He knew what I was talking about.

"Anyway, after a few months, she came to live with us. And that's when I really saw her bad side. Whenever Sam wasn't home, she would yell at me for the smallest things. Things that weren't my fault. She was especially picky about me touching my uncle's possestions. Things that he'd collected over ther years. But he was fine with it. A few months ago, he asked her to marry him. She said yes, with her fake smile. And yesterday was they're wedding." I told him, "Well... sort of yesterday."

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean by 'sort of', dear. Would you mind explaining?" the Professor asked.

"It's complicated." I told him, "But there's more. At the wedding yesterday, as they were saying their vowels. I was wondering why Sarah was really marrying my uncle. Then, I heard something. It was like the voice in my head, but it had a mind of it's own." I stopped then to check his expression. It was blank. He probably thought I was crazy. I continued, nonetheless. "The voice, whatever it was, offered to show me the real reason why Sarah was marrying him. As long as I solved a riddle. Or a puzzle."

"Interesting..." the Professor said, thinking hard.

"So I solved it, just before my uncle said 'I do'. Then, I passed out. When I woke up, I was in the same place I left. Yet I wasn't. Things were different. I travelled down the streets... and you know the rest."

"I found you." he said, nodding, "Well... this is quiet a mystery. But your story isn't finished yet, am I correct?" I smiled.

"The next part is going to sound especially strange." I told him. He nodded. "Do you think that... that something like time travel is possible?" I asked him. I held my breath, waiting for his answer. He blinked a few times.

"Time travel..." he murmured, "I had a friend who was working on a project similar to that. Yes, I think something of the sort could be achieved, if one set their mind to it." I exhaled.

"I... I think I've travelled back in time." I told him. He looked at me. "It may sound stupid," I said in a rush, "But to be honest it's the most logical theory I've had so far.

"Are you positive?" he asked.

"I've came from the year 2010. And it's 1960 here, according to your calendar. The people here speak more... posh." Definately not the right thing to say, as he looked kind of offended, "You all dress like the people do in old fashion movies. The voice in my head told me I was in the same place I left, and I am. Just fifty years back. It all fits!" He nodded slowly. I sighed.

"What's the matter?"

"You don't believe me, do you?" I asked, looking at him in the eye. He hesitated for a moment.

"Like I said last night, I've seen some pretty stange things in my lifetime. This would probably make the top three." Top three? What kind of things has this man seen? He looked at me and smiled, "I believe you."

* * *

**I know this chapter was pretty much just talking, but I had to give you some of Kaity's background. It will make the story flow a lot better later on, I promise.**

**OMG! I watched Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva and it was AWESOME! I highly recommend it to anybody who is a fan!**


	5. Pictures

Feeling relieved he believed me, I continued.

"The voice said that I will go back to my own time when I find out the reason Sarah was going to marry my uncle. But how am I supposed to find out in the first place?" I sighed. "I think this whole thing is overrated. I mean, once I find out the reason she wants to marry him, it won't change the future. I'll still be stuck with her."

"I think you're wrong there." the Professor said, "Whatever you do in this time could change the future quite a bit. You must be very cautious." I thought for a few moments. "You were sent here for a reason. There's no denying that. Maybe you are supposed to change the future." He pondered over that for a second, "But I'm not saying for you to jump into something like this. Whatever you do, you must be very careful." I nodded.

"The real question is; where do we go from here?"

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked. I sighed.

"For one I have no idea how to find out why Sarah wants to marry him." I explained. He smiled a little.

"How old was your uncle?" he asked.

"Sixty-three." I answered, wondering what it had to do with the situation at hand. Then it hit me. "He'd be thirteen in this time!"

"Indeed." Professor Layton replied, smiling, "Do you know where your uncle grew up?"

"He said he lived in the country... but I'm not sure where." I told him. My heart fell so fast once I realized this. I had the urge to scream, why was this so frusterating! The Professor put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"It will all be ok." he told me. I sighed.

"Thank you." I told him.

"What for?" he questioned.

"For believing me. And being so nice." I replied. He chuckled.

"Helping a lady in need is the duty of any gentleman." he reminded me. I smiled.

"Why did you believe me?" I asked him. He sighed.

"I could tell you weren't from around her. The way you walk and spoke, it seemed so... outright. So when you told me that you were from the future, I knew you were telling the truth."

"You're very observant." I told him. He smiled.

"I've solved many mysteries. I have to be." he explained. Mysteries? No wonder he said that he'd seen some weird things...

"Can you tell me about them?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Some of them, yes. But others I can't say much about." He put his cup of tea by the book beside him and looked at me, "There was one a few years back... quite the puzzle!" he told me about his adventures with a younger Luke, in a puzzle solving game to win eternal life. I was gobsmacked. Could this all be true? He smiled at my expression once he finished.

"Like I said, I've seen many strange things." I nodded.

"I didn't think you meant that strange." I admitted, "Can you tell me another one?" he chuckled.

"Perhaps, but it's almost lunch time. I think a snack is in order before we proceed. And if I were you I would probably get changed." he explained. I looked down and realized with embarrassment that I was still wearing the same dress I was yesterday. "I'm sure Flora is about your size."

"Shouldn't we ask your daughter beforehand?" I enquired, feeling a little guilty.

"She won't mind, I'm sure." He took me up to Flora's room, where he pulled out a pale blue dress. I had to admit, it was pretty, even if it was old like. I quickly got changed, looking around me as I did. The room was nice, very neat and colourful. There were pictures on the walls, too. One in particular stood out to me, it was of a pretty woman in a chair, looking out the window. She looked a lot like Flora.

_The Professor's wife? _I asked myself. I looked at the rest of the pictures. One of them caught my eye the most.

It was a skillfully drawn picture of a town and a few of it's residents. I recognised it, from somewhere, but my memory was fuzzy. I decided to ignore it and continue on downstairs.

"Lovely!" the Professor commented as I came into the kitchen. I couldn't help smiling.

"Thanks." I told him. I sat down and began eating the sandwich he passed to me. "I saw the pictures in Flora's room. They're really nice."

"Did you?" he asked, "I'm glad you think so Flora drew some of them herself. She_ is_ rather artistic."

"Was the picture of the woman in the chair looking out the window your wife?" I asked. Professor Layton chuckled.

"Oh no. You see, Flora isn't actually my daughter." he informed me.

"Oh." I said, looking down.

"You saw the picture of the town, yes? That's where we met. Ever since I have been her guardian."

"Interesting." I murmured. I looked up at him. "What are we going to do? How will be find Sam?" I asked him, deciding to change the topic. He sighed.

"We will need help." he told me, "And it will take a while." My stomach dropped.

"How long?" I questioned, dreading the answer.

"It depends. But in the meantime, you are welcome to stay here." he offered. I felt like crying. Not of sadness, but of happiness. He was too kind... I didn't deserve any of it.

"Thank you." I whispered, giving him a hug. He was surprised by this.

"That's what a gentleman does." he reminded me once more . I couldn't help smiling at the statement.

* * *

**Sorry guys, I know that chapter was short and that it sucked. School's being really busy at the moment. I will post another one quicker and better next time, on the weekend hopefully. **


	6. Remi and Flora

Professor Layton invited over a lady later on that day. She was very pretty, with brown wavy hair and a yellow jacket. She had a look of determination on her face, as well as kindness. I decided immediately that I liked her.

"Thank you for coming, Remi." the Professor told her, smiling. She nodded.

"It's my pleasure, Hershel." she said. She then noticed me, standing by the doorway awkwardly "Who might this young lady be?"

"This is Kaity." the Professor informed her, "She's the reason I've called you here."

"Oh really?" Remi asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She studied me for a few seconds, and I suddenly had the feeling she didn't trust me, "How do you know it isn't Don Paolo?" Don Paolo? Who was that? The Professor thought about that for a second.

"I don't." he admitted, "But I trust her, Remi, if it was Paolo he would have tried to kill me by now. But feel free to conduct an examination." he told her, a hint of humour in his voice.

"Examination?" I asked, "Wait, what's going on? And who is Don Paolo?" Remi's face was blank as she circled me a few time, occasionally pulling on a lock of my hair. I blushed red with embarrassment

"It's not Paolo." she concluded eventually, going back to the Professor's side. I looked around in confusion.

"Who is Don Paolo?" I asked again.

"Just somebody who is trying to kill me for an unknown reason." the Professor informed me, "He is a master of disguise, he's fooled me on more than one occasion."

"Oh." was my reply. Remi looked at me.

"I apologize for not trusting you, Kaity," she said, "But it's better to be safe than sorry." She looked at Hershel, "So why am I here?" she asked. Professor Layton sighed.

"You probably won't believe this Remi. But I assure you, every word of it is true." he started. He explained the whole situation, about him finding me, having to find my uncle, being from the future... everything. Remi sat and listened throughout the whole story, an interested expression on her face. Once he was finished, she looked at me.

"So... you're from the future?" she asked slowly. I nodded.

"I... I think so." I told her. Slowly, a smile appeared on her face.

"What's it like? Are there bigger planes that fly faster? Are there robots that do anything you want them to?" she asked, getting more and more excited.

"Well..." I started to answer but the Professor interrupted.

"I think it would be wise to not now what's going to happen, Remi." he explained, "Kaity being here in itself could change the future quite a bit. Imagine being told everything!" Remi nodded understandingly.

"Very well then. May I ask one question, though?" she requested, a desperate look in her eyes. I waited for the Professor's reply. He looked at me.

"It's up to you, Kaity." he told me. I nodded to Remi.

"There are still planes in the future aren't there?" she asked seriously. I smiled.

"Yes." I assured her.

"YAY!" she exclaimed happily, jumping in the air. I looked at her, my expression in a mixture of shock and humour.

"She's a pilot." the Professor explained to me.

* * *

"It will take a very long time to search all the files, Professor." Remi informed him.

"I know it will." he replied, "But Kaity can't stay here forever. She has a home, after all."

"A home with Sarah." I muttered. The word had almost lost all of it's appeal.

"The sooner we start the sooner we finish." Remi reminded us, placing a pile of papers in front of me. My heart dropped.

"I have to sort through all these?" I asked in dismay.

"These are only the files for people who live in one part of the country side." the Professor admitted. My heart sank even lower.

"We will help you." Remi told me, "And once we find his records we'll be able to find out where he is." I nodded, looking at the first paper. Then the next, then the next. By the time Luke and Flora got home (four hours later) we were only about one eighth of the way through, and we hadn't found my uncle.

"What are you doing, Professor?" Luke asked, looking at all the papers.

"Searching for a relative of Kaity's." he replied without looking up. Remi went to make Luke and Flora something to eat.

"Do we tell them?" I whispered to the Professor. He shook his head.

"It might be easier if we don't." he explained.

Half and hour later, we stopped searching..

"We'll look at some more tomorrow." the Professor told me. I nodded, my eyes feeling tired after staring at the small writing for so long.

"Sure." I told him, yawning. He smiled.

"Would you like to sleep in Flora's room from now on, Kaity?" he offered, "I'm sure the pair of you would have a lot in common." I nodded weakly.

"As long as she's ok with it." I said, "I don't want to be in the way of anything."

* * *

It turned out that Flora was very enthusiastic about the idea. I understood, after all, it would be hard with her growing up with the Professor and Luke, with no other girls in the house.

"It'll be fun!" Flora told me, smiling. I had chatted to her only a few times, but I had already gathered my opinion on her. She was definitely a nice, caring person, and it seemed the Professor was right, we did have a lot in common. I had a hunch we were going to be great friends.

By the time night came, we were already in a deep conversation.

"So, where exactly are you from?" Flora asked me curiously.

"The country." I lied. I figured that that would be the best thing to say.

"Which part?" she asked, interested, "I once went to a little town called Dropstone. It was so nice there, it was all open fields... I definitely want to like there when I'm older, or somewhere similar at least." I nodded. She waited for my reply.

"Oh... well..." I said, frantically thinking of places in the country I had heard about, "Surrey Hills."

"Really!" she asked, amazed, "Wow, I've heard it's really beautiful." I nodded. "How will you be staying here for?"

"I'm not sure." I admitted, "When we find my relative I'll be gone, I guess." She nodded. We heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." Flora invited. It was Professor Layton.

"Sorry to intrude, ladies, but I was thinking about something." he told us, looking at me in particular, "You could be here a while, Kaity, so would you like to go to school with Flora tomorrow? It might be a good experience for you." I looked at him, unsure what to say. He looked back at me. Flora looked at us both.

"Do come, Kaity!" she told me, "It will be so much fun!"

"What about the files?" I asked him, "Shouldn't we be working on those?" He chuckled.

"I have a job, Kaity." he informed me, "I can't stay home everyday. But as soon as we're both home, you can look through them." I nodded, happy with the idea. Flora squealed.

"Yes! It will be great, won't it Kaity!" she said, her big brown eyes shining with excitement. I smiled, still not sure what was so great about school.

"Well that's sorted." the Professor said, "You should get up around 6:30. School starts at 7:45. Flora, dear, could you perhaps lend Kaity one of your dresses?"

"Sure." Flora told him. He nodded and left the room. As soon as he was gone, my jaw dropped.

"_6:30?_ Why so early?" I complained. Flora giggled.

"How early do you usually get up?"

"Around 7:30." I lied, knowing that I usually got up a lot later than that.

"Oh well. You'll get used to it." she promised me, "I'm so glad your coming."

* * *

_I was walking through the park, holding hands with my mother. She smiled at me._

_"Kaity! Look at all the leaves!" she told me, pointing to a huge pile of leaves surrounding one of the trees. I giggled and ran over to the pile, jumping it. The leaves flew all around me. I laughed. "__Kaity!" my mother scolded playfully, "You've made a mess of yourself!" I giggled again as she lifted me up and removed the leaved from my hair. I held her tight._

_"I love you, mummy." I told her. She hugged me back._

_"I love you too, sweetie." she told me. She placed me down, and suddenly, she disappeared. I looked around in panic._

_"Mum?" I asked frantically, "MUM!" _

_But there was no reply._

"Kaity?" a kind voice told me, "Are you ok?"

I was pulled out of that world and found myself in Flora's room. The Professor's kind face was in front of me.

"Is everything ok, dear?" he asked. I breathed in an out a few times before I nodded.

"It's ok." I told him, "Just a nightmare." I closed me eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but I felt a cool hand on my shoulder.

"It's time for school." the Professor told me. Oh, school, that's right. I nodded and sat up, rubbing to sleep from my eyes as he woke up Flora. I was amazed she had slept through me talking, for however long. I sighed.

None of the mattered, anyway. Time for school.

* * *

**This chapter was uploaded quicker because the other chapter was so short.**


	7. School

Once Flora and I had both eaten our breakfast, she showed me what I would have to wear. I gagged at the sight. It was a plain grey dress that went down way past my knees. To make things worse, I had to wear white socks pulled up as far as they would go, AND tie my hair back.

"It's not so bad." Flora assured me. I shook my head in disagreement.

"At my old school the teachers didn't care what we wore." I informed her. Her eyes opened wide.

"Lucky." she muttered, handing me a pair of black shoes. I groaned.

"Do I have to?" I asked. She smiled at my feeble protests.

"The teacher is really strict, Kate. You don't mind me calling you that, do you?" she asked.

"It's fine." I assured her, putting on the dress. In fact, I kind of liked my new nickname. As soon as Flora left the room, I shoved the vile socks down to my ankles, undid my hair and untied the shoe laces. I took about eight hair ties out of the bathroom and hid them in my bag. It might be fun to flick them at people in the middle of class. Once I was ready, I headed downstairs. The Professor looked at me, a smile smile on his face.

"Very nice." he told me, "But I'm not entirely sure whether or not it's appropriate for school." I groaned.

"I don't see what's wrong with it!" I protested. He stood up and looked at me. Not sternly, in a nice kind of way.

"Please, Kaity. I know it's certainly different from what you're used to, but at least make an effort." he begged. I broke at that point, feeling guilty. I pulled up the socks and did my shoe laces up. Then I tied up my hair. He looked suspiciously at my bag, but said nothing.

"I don't want to go." I admitted quietly, "I want to find out where my uncle is!" He looked at me seriously.

"What made you say yes when I asked you?" he questioned. I thought about that for a second.

"Flora. She seemed like she really wanted me to go." I admitted. He nodded.

"Having you with her will help her out." he explained, "She hasn't got any friends."

"Why not?" I asked in shock, "She's really nice!" He shrugged.

"I don't know why the other kids don't seem to like her. I guess it's because in her old village there weren't many other children. I think she got used to it." he explained, "She needs you there, Kaity. Please, do it for her. That's all I ask." I sighed and nodded.

"I promise." He again looked at my bag. I had a feeling he knew I had my source of entertainment.

"Would I be right in saying that at your... old school, you were a trouble maker?" he asked. I was a little taken back at that statement. Sure, maybe I'd gotten a detention here and there, and occasionally got told of in class, but I wasn't one of the kids who didn't study at all and _purposely_ tried to get into trouble. Then it clicked.

"I suppose... I might be considered one, in this time." I told him, smiling.

"As long as you don't start any fights, I'm happy." he admitted. Then he looked at his watch. "You'd better get going." he told me. I nodded and joined Flora by the front door. Luke slowly emerged from his bedroom, looking very tired.

"Doesn't he go to the same school as you?" I asked Flora, wondering why he got up so late. She shook her head.

"He's younger then me by about four years." she told me, laughing, "His school starts in another hour." Luke looked at me and quickly trudged away.

"What did I do?" I demanded, looking at Flora. She giggled.

"I think he likes you." she admitted

"Oh." I said, unable to hold back my laugh. We walked out the front door and on to the pavement. I quickly shoved my socks down, then followed Flora as she showed me the way.

* * *

We arrived at school about ten minutes before it started. A few people were there, but not many. Flora and I sat down on one of the benches.

"What subjects do we have?" I asked.

"Usually we have English in the morning." she answered, "But sometimes she'll randomly throw a test at us."

"Yay." I muttered sarcastically. Eventually the rest of the class showed up. I noticed that they barely even looked at Flora, let alone talk to her. Flora seemed a little upset from the neglect. The teacher showed up too, and opened the classroom. I didn't like the look of her. Her nose was too pointy and her eyes gleamed behind her glasses. She reminded me of Sarah.

"New girl, huh?" he sneered as I was about to enter the classroom, "Name and age?"

"Kaity Fisher." I told her. "I'm sixteen." Flora looked at me funny, but said nothing.

"Pull your socks up and sit next to Flora." she ordered. "I am Miss Katherine." I did as she said and Flora showed me her desk, near the back of the room.

"Why did you say you were sixteen?" she asked, "The Professor told me you were seventeen!"

"I wanted to sit next to you." I told her, "If I had of said I was older we might have been seperated." She smiled. The teacher starting ticking of all the names.

"Ruby Williams?"

"Here." a tall girl with dark hair said. Every seat around her was filled up, so I assumed she was one of the popular kids. I could tell straight away we wouldn't get along.

"Henry Pendy?"

"Yes." a boy sitting by the window said. He looked kinder than Ruby and had a few friends around him. I decided immediately that I liked him. The teacher kept on calling names out. I paid little attention.

"Flora Layton?" she asked.

'Yes." Flora replied glumly. She seemed upset about being called that.

"Are you ok?" I whispered. She nodded, but didn't say anything. "You're not a very good liar, you know." I told her. She gave a small smile.

"I'll tell you later." she answered.

The day seemed to go on forever. I barely listened to what the teacher was telling us, something about algebra. I had to think of a way to brighten up the class. I opened my bag silently and placed the hair ties on the table. Flora looked at me, confused.

"What are they for?" she whispered, "Don't tell me you're going to do your hair now!" I smiled and took one. I put it over both my thumbs and fired. It hit one of the students in the front row. He looked up in shock, having no idea what just happened. Flora and I pretended to go on with our work. Once he turned to the front, we smiled at each other.

"That was great!" Flora mouthed. I pulled out another one. This time, I aimed for Ruby. It hit her square on the back of her head.

"Ah!" she yelped. Flora and stifled giggles as the teacher turned around to glare and Ruby.

"What was that?" she asked, sounding like she didn't want an answer.

"Nothing, miss." Ruby replied sweetly, looking away. Once a few more minutes had past, I looked at Flora, and handed her one.

"You try." I told her. She smiled and aimed toward Ruby again. But it missed completely. It hit Mrs Katherine straight on her arm . She turned around, daggers for eyes.

"WHO DID THAT?" she demanded loudlt. The whole class was silent, except for Flora. She let out a small laugh of shock. "FLORA LAYTON STAND UP!". Flora slowly stood up, trembling slightly. "Was it _you_?" the teacher asked, her voice more quiet but somehow more dangerous. Flora hesitated, and I suddenly felt guilty. I was the one who had told her to fire it, I should have been taking the wrath. I stood up.

"It was me, miss." I lied. She glared at me.

"Sit down, Kaity." she told me, "This is your first and last warning. If you weren't new..." She continued mumbling on about irresponsible children nowadays. I nodded, sitting back down. Flora gave me a grateful glance.

For the rest of the lesson, we were both silent.

* * *

At lunch Flora sat next to me.

"Why did you do that?" she asked. I shrugged.

"I told you too flick it, so it was my fault." I said reasonably.

"Thanks." she told me. I smiled, then remembered something.

"Why did you cringe when the teacher called you 'Flora Layton'? When she was marking who was here and who wasn't?" I questioned. Flora sighed.

"I hate the name Flora Layton." she told me simply, "Everybody calls me it, but it's not my real name."

"What is your real name?" I asked her, interested.

"Flora Reinhold." she answered, "I only use 'Layton' if it's signing forms. Technically, it's my official name, ever since the Professor adopted me. But I'm Flora Reinhold inside, just like my mother and father. It would be disrespectful to them if I changed it, I will always be a Reinhold."

"What about if you get married? Won't you want to change it then?" I asked. She was about to answer, when...

"Married!" a new voice laughed. We looked up to see Ruby and a few of her friends behind us, "Who would want to marry _Flora_!" Flora cringed at the statement. I felt angry, but I knew I had to stay calm. The Professor had told me not to start any fights, after all.

"Which man wouldn't?" I asked simply.

"Flora's never been kissed and I bet you she never will!" Ruby sneered. I felt Flora tremble beside me. I had an urge to push Ruby over. I stood up, fists clenched.

"Take. That. Back." I ordered, glaring at Ruby. She snickered.

"Or what?" she challenged. A few more people noticed us and came over.

"Or I will make sure you regret it." I threatened. Ruby laughed.

"You don't scare me." That did it.

"You know why you pick on Flora?" I asked angrily, "It's because you're jealous of just how awesome she is!"

"There's no such word as 'awesome'." Ruby told me smugly. Drat, I'd forgotten.

"Yes there is." I informed her, "It means talented, smart, beautiful and caring." I was tempted to add, 'no qualities you'd ever have' but I knew that would be taking it too far. Ruby glared at us.

"Fine, you've chosen to hang around with the loser. To late to back out now." she warned. I rolled my eyes.

"I wasn't planning to." I told her. I sat back down and ate what remained of my lunch while Ruby stalked off. Flora looked at me in shock.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Because Ruby has no right to walk over people like that." I told her. Flora had tears in her eyes as she hugged me.

"Thank you." she whispered, "That was one of the kindest things somebody's ever done for me. I smiled and patted her on the back.

"It's ok." I told her. She sniffed.

"Oi, new girl!" a friendlier voice called. I looked up to see Henry and a few of his friends.

"I have a name." I told them playfully. Henry smiled.

"Kaity, right? I'm Henry. These are my friends, Jackson and Mary." he told me. These people all looked much nicer then Ruby. "We saw you challenge Ruby, Kaity. You're the first one who has even tried."

"You guys should stick up for people more." I replied, "It can be fun." They laughed.

"We just wanted to get to know you better." Jackson admitted, "You too, Flora. Come to think of it, I don't really know much about you. But judging by what Kaity said earlier I'd say you are talented, smart, beautiful.". Flora blushed, looking down.

"Thank you!" she murmured. I smiled, having a feeling that these were the type of people I wanted to be friends with. We all sat down and mucked about, until Mrs Katherine called us inside again. Flora didn't stop smiling for the rest of the day.

* * *

When we got home, the Professor looked at Flora like he didn't recognise her. When he looked at me for an explanation, I just winked. While Flora was upstairs, he bombarded me with questions.

"You didn't start any fights, did you?" he asked suspiciously. I shrugged.

"If you consider telling a girl to back away from Flora after she was rude to her, then meeting some nice people afterwards who are now our friends a fight, then yes. Yes I did."

* * *

**Hope you all liked that chapter! I know I did, I seriously wanted Kaity to fight with somebody, ha ha. I'm kinda basing her on a typical teenage girl with attitude, as well as kindness. **

**Thinking about adding some KaityxHenry romance, as well as FloraxJackson. Before my inbox is filled with 'Why no FloraxLuke?' questions, here is my answer. Look at all the pics with Layton, Flora and Luke. Luke is sooo much shorter than Flora, so guessing he's a fair bit younger too. So that's my reason. I don't mind reading FloraxLuke, but I don't like writing it.**


	8. Partners

After about a week, I had established my daily routine. As soon as I got home, the Professor (and occasionally Remi) would help me sort through the papers. At around five o'clock we would stop and I would start on any homework I had. Afterwards we would have dinner and at about eight o'clock I would go to bed. Compared to my ordinary routine it was quite a change. However, I liked it.

But the nightmares... each and every night. They were always memories of my parents and Sam. No matter how hard I attempted to stop them, they kept on coming. So I soon got used to them, and it was no surprise for me to wake up with the Professor's concerned face above mine.

About two weeks after my first day at school, Mrs Katherine announced something.

"Next week, there will be a dance." she told us. I looked at Flora in excitement. "You all must attend, whether you like it or not. You can also bring a partner to the dance." There was a murmur of excitement. For one, she didn't tell any of us off. She went on about the dress code, but nobody was really listening. I was thinking about who might ask me. Flora was probably thinking the same thing.

At lunch, we were chatting with Henry, Jackson and Mary. Mary wasn't happy.

"I'm out of town next week!" she told us, clearly very upset "I can't go!" I patted her on the back, feeling sorry for her. Mary had grown on me, although Flora and I were better friends.

"They will be more dances in you lifetime, right?" I said, trying to comfort her. She nodded.

"I guess so." she answered, sounding unsure. I smiled, looking around me.

"So!" I began brightly, "Who's going with who?" They looked at me.

"You're pretty open, aren't you!" Henry teased, smiling. I nodded.

"I guess I am. Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all." he told me, looking deeply into my eyes. I suddenly got butterflies in my stomach.

"Flora, do you want to be my partner for the dance?" Jackson asked, somewhat shyly. Flora beamed.

"Y-yes!" she answered happily. Both of them smiled.

"Well, looks like Flora could find a partner after all!" sneered a voice from behind us. I groaned as I turned around to see Ruby.

"Why won't you just _go away_?" I asked in an exasperated voice. She ignored me, smiling sweetly at Henry. I knew what was going to happen next. I snorted with laughter.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, glaring at me.

"I find it amusing that you think you even have a chance." I told her simply. She ignored me and looked at Henry.

"Would you like to go the dance with me, Henry?" she asked in a sugar sweet voice.

"No." Henry replied quickly, "I'm already going with Kaity. And even if I wasn't I still wouldn't go with you." I looked at him, but didn't say anything. Was he just using me as an excuse? Or would he really go with me? Ruby scoffed.

"Fine." she replied, walking off. Henry looked at me.

"Sorry." he told me. I nodded, trying not to take any notice of the hurt inside me. So he had just used me as an excuse... "I should be doing this properly." he continued, "Would you like to go to the dance with me?" Relief and excitement washed over me. I couldn't keep the happiness out of my voice.

"Sure!"

* * *

Flora and I got home, eager to tell the Professor the good news.

"Professor! There's gonna be a dance and Kaity and I both have partners and it's next week and I need to get a dress and I'm so excited!" Flora explained in a rush, jumping up and down. He looked at her in confusion. Once I had translated it, he smiled.

"Well, I'm sure it will be a lot of fun!" he replied.

"I might need a new dress..." Flora told him, explaining the dress code. He listened politely.

"Well, after school tomorrow you two can go searching for what you're going to wear." I was taken aback by that.

"What?" I asked, "No... don't get me something. I can't give you anything in return."

"Don't worry about it, my dear." he assured me. I shook my head.

"No, I won't." I told him firmly, "I'll just wear my dress!"

"You're dress?" he repeated, "They won't let you inside!" I smiled.

"If I tweak it a little, then we shouldn't have a problem." I pointed out, "I can sew it myself. It'll will be much cheaper, trust me." The Professor sighed.

"If you insist." he told me, "There's some sewing tools in the study. You can start after we look through the papers." I nodded happily and sat down, starting on the big pile of papers in front of me. After about fifteen minutes, of searching, I stopped. Something had just dawned on me.

"Kaity? Are you ok?" the Professor asked. I nodded slowly, then groaned.

"I've just realized, we've been looking for the wrong person!" I exclaimed.

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked.

"Sam is thirteen years old!" I burst out, "We should be looking for George!"

"Who is George?" he asked. I sighed.

"My grandfather. George Fisher." I explained. It dawned on him, too.

"All this time we've been searching for the wrong person!" he murmured, "Why didn't I think of it earlier?" I shook my head.

"Now we have to go through all the papers again." I complained, looking at them with dread, "Who knows, we might have already missed it!" He nodded.

"Don't worry, at least we figured it out now. Think of what could have happened if we went through the whole pile of papers and then realized."

"That would have been be pretty annoying." I agreed.

* * *

Later on, I began working on my dress. I sighed, it was a nice pale yellow colour. I found an almost identical fabric in a huge sewing box, thankfully. That saved me wasting the Professor's money. I smiled as I set to work, changing my dress. Flora came in half an hour later.

"Wow!" she exclaimed, examining the dress, "It's really pretty!"

"It's not finished yet. I've got heaps more to go." I pointed out, "I need to re-sew the bottom, add one more layer, attach the ribbon..." She laughed.

"What colour do you think I should get?" she asked me.

"Orange?" I suggested, "It suits you." She shook her head.

"I want something different." she explained, "A change."

"What about pink? Or light purple?" Flora thought about that for a second.

"That could work!" she told me happily. "Thank you."

"It's fine. Purple's a nice colour." I replied.

"No, not just for that!" she told me, laughing, "For helping me out with everything! School, mostly."

"No problem." I replied casually. But inside I was thrilled.

After school the next day, Flora and I looked in a few stores for what she would wear. The Professor had given us more than enough to pay for one dress. I think it was in case I changed my mind and wanted to buy one for myself. But my sewing was coming along fine, I wasn't going to give in that easily.

Shopping with Flora was, strange enough, was like shopping with one of my friends back home. So casual and just plain fun. The first shops we went into were too expensive. They were clearly meant for brides and bridesmaids. After some searching we came across a better store. The dresses were perfect, simple yet unique. Just what Flora was looking for. She tried on about six before decided on a light purple dress with white sleeves. I smiled when she showed me, it was perfect. It seemed like it was made for her.

"You definitely chose the right one." I promised her. She nodded enthusiastically.

Flora had grown on me in the past week. She was such a lovable person... easy to talk to. I knew that once I returned the my own time that she would do fine at school. Henry, Jackson and Mary would take care of her.

But the thought of leaving hurt me. I knew I would miss the Professor, Luke as well, but Flora... I would definitely miss her the most. Not to mention the friends I had made at school. Especially Henry...

On the way back home, we found one last shop.

"Flora!" I gasped as I looked through the window in awe. There was a beautiful trail of ribbon that was a lovely yellow. It would match my dress wonderfully.

"It's so pretty!" she admired, "You should get it!" I shook my head.

"It would be too expensive. Besides, I don't really need it." I pointed out. She shook her head.

"We're buying it. And that's final." she told me firmly. I had an urge to laugh, she looked so threatening. I ended up giving in.

"You know what we should do?" I asked Flora later on, sitting on my mattress/bed.

"What?" Flora asked, looking up from her book.

"We should, after the dance, just come back here and have a sleepover, but just you and me" I answered.

"But we do that everything night." she pointed out, laughing.

"No, I mean stay up really, really late and just talk about things." I explained. She looked at me like I was crazy. "It's better than it sounds." I promised, "We can get chocolate and stuff too. It's really fun."

"We'd have to ask the Professor first, but I'm sure he'll say yes." she told me, "You're right, it does sound like fun." I smiled, I couldn't wait for next Friday.

* * *

**He he, I have all my chapters planned out already. Next one is the dance, and the one after that will be the super-awesome-mega-hyper sleepover (I'm thinking of calling the chapter that). I won't give anything else away, though, otherwise you'll all know the big surprise I'm planning... mwa ha ha ha. I'm evil XD**

**Yes I know the last few chapter have been somewhat off the storyline (I tend to do that) but I've been trying to explain how Flora and Kaity's friendship has grown through time.**


	9. The Dance

The Professor had agreed to let us have the sleep over. He decided that, as long as it was only us, he and Luke would stay the night at Remi's house instead, just so we didn't keep them up all night. Flora and I had already stacked up on all the chocolate, so everything was going to plan.

I finally finished my dress, the day before the dance. It turned out better than I expected. Flora loved it too.

"You should have made me one." she joked, "That would have been great."

Everyone at school was really excited about the dance. Even the boys thought it would be fun. But nobody was as happy as Flora. She helped me with my dress, which came together perfectly, and spent all her time planning how she was going to have her hair. Even the Professor saw change in her behaviour.

"Are you ok, dear?" he asked her one night when she was daydreaming (probably about the dance).

"What?" she asked, head snapping up, "Oh! Yes, I'm fine. Just thinking..." And with that, she went back into her dream land.

* * *

Eventually Friday came. None of us listened in school until Mrs Katherine threatened cancelling it. After that we all starting paying more attention.

When Flora and I got home from school that day, she was quivering in excitement and wanted to get ready straight away. I made her see sense though, we had until seven o'clock after all.

After two hours of stalling we actually starting preparing ourselves. And about five minutes before we had to leave we were finally finished. I could tell Flora was really nervous. I gave her a comforting hug, suddenly feeling scared myself.

"It'll be fun, you'll love it." I told her. She gave a small nod and tried to relax. But just then the doorbell rung. We both went into a panic attack.

"Girls!" the Professor called, "Henry and Jackson are both here!"

"We'll be right down!" I told him, trying to keep calm. I took Flora's hands. "You'll have the time of your life, I promise." She nodded slowly. We headed downstairs together and into the dining room. Luke was there with the Professor. Jackson and Henry were there, dressed in suits and ties. I had to hold back a laugh, they looking so much different then usual.

"Here we are!" I announced, smiling nervously. All heads turned in our direction. Flora blushed even harder.

"Well, you both look absolutely beautiful!" Professor Layton told us. Henry and Jackson nodded.

'What time do you want us home?" Flora asked.

"Anywhere around ten should suffice." the Professor told us, "Luke and I will leave for Remi's house afterwards."

"Sure." Henry told him, "We'll be here by then, I promise."

"So do I." Jackson added. I smiled.

"Well, you'd all best be off. Have a good time, the four of you." he told us. Flora gave him a quick hug.

"Bye." she murmured as we set off into the night.

There was a silence as we all walked, arms linked with our partners. But it wasn't a bad silence, it was somewhat comfortable. After a while, Jackson cleared his throat.

"You look very pretty tonight, Flora." he told her. She giggled.

"Thank you." I grinned, hoping Henry would say the same thing to me. He didn't, though, and I felt slightly disappointed. We just kept on walking, until we reached the school.

It was as if it had been transformed! There were lights and decorations everywhere. It truly was amazing.

"It's beautiful..." I whispered. Henry heard me.

"Not as beautiful as you." he told me. I smiled, embarrassed and happy at the same time. Flora went of with Jackson to the dance floor, while Henry and I just sat down and chatted.

"So how do you know Flora?" he asked me, "I don't think I ever asked."

"Oh, she's a good friend." I told her, "At the moment we're trying to find a relative of mine."

"What will you do once you find them?" Henry asked, studying me. I shrugged, even though I knew the answer. I just didn't want to think about it, leaving Flora and Henry. And Jackson and Mary. Not to mention the Professor and Luke. It hurt.

"I suppose I'll go with them." I told him. He looked crestfallen.

"You'll come back, won't you?" he asked. I nodded uncertainly.

"I might." I had to get away from the conversation. "We should go dance."

"Good idea." he agreed. We made our way up to the dance floor, where we met up with Flora and Jackson. Ruby was there too, with her date. I couldn't help laughing. She was will the most disgusting guy in the class. The type of guy who purposely never showers and doesn't worry about hygiene..She didn't look happy.

"Attention everybody!" Mrs Katherine called. At once the sounds died down as all eyes fell on the stage. We all grimaced in horror. She was wearing something that was 'cool' in this time, but even the students thought it was bad. To frilly and pink. "Before we begin the night properly, we should go over a few rules." She droned on for ages, going on about how we were representing the school and how we had to be on our best behaviour. Then she handed it to one of the students, who had offered to do a speech. It was more entertaining than Mrs Katherine's was, that's for sure. It was... interesting to say the least. Very corny. But I loved it either way.

After all the boring announcements, we got back to dancing. A slow sort of song came on, and everybody danced with their partners. Flora looked nervous. I winked at her as I danced with Henry. She smiled and Jackson held her tightly.

* * *

A few hours later, it was all over. I felt happy, happier than I'd ever felt in my entire life. With Henry, it was like I was a new person. The four of us made out way back to the Professor house, taking out time. We walked through a park, which brought back memories of when mum and I walked through it, years ago. Or years in the future. I wasn't sure if the memories were good or bad. Eventually we arrived home. This was the awkward part.

"Goodnight, Flora." Jackson said. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. Instead of blushing, Flora smiled. I turned to Henry, my heart fluttering. Would he kiss me?

"It was a very nice night." I told him. He nodded.

"Yes, it was." He pulled a flower from his pocket and handed it to me. I smiled.

"Where did you get this?" I asked.

"One of the school plants." he answered, smiling. I whistled. Mrs Katherine hated it when somebody picked the school flowers.

"Forbidden..." I laughed. He chuckled lightly.

"I guess so." He took a quick glance at Flora and Jackson. They were studying the flowers that she had planted early in the year. Satisfied that we weren't being watched, he leant down and kissed me.

On the lips.

Fireworks exploded in my brain **(sorry I read too many romance novels) **as I kissed him back, feeling like I was flying. What was only a few seconds felt like eternity to me. But we did eventually pull away, and thankfully Flora and Jackson were still looking at flowers. But Flora had a slight smile on her lips, like she knew what had happened, the amazing feeling I had inside me that still made me tingle. Henry held my hand for a moment.

"I'll see you at school Monday, ok?"

"Sure." I told him, my heart still fluttering. He and Jackson left. Flora came up to me. We were both speechless. We opened the door and were greeted with the Professor.

"So?" he asked, "How was it?"

"It was amazing!" Flora and I both said at the same time. We laughed in excitement.

"Are you still up for this sleepover?" I had almost forgotten about it, but he had reminded me all about it.

"Definitely!" I answered.

"Ok, well I'll take Luke and we'll both head on to Remi's." he looked at us seriously. "If you girls have any trouble, I've left her number on the fridge. Don't hesitate to call if you need something, or somebody's injured." I had to resist rolling my eyes.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine." Flora promised. He smiled.

"I know. I'm just over protective. Well, I'll leave you both to it then." He picked up an overnight bag and woke Luke up from one of the couches. Luke yawned and saw me.

"Hi Kaity. You look really beautiful." he told me tiredly. Flora and I both giggled. Even the Professor had to hold back a laugh. He and a very tired looking Luke made there way to the car (which was called the Laytonmobile according to Luke) and drove of. A thrill of excitement went through me.

"Whoo hoo!" I cheered, jumping up. I narrowly missed a light with my hand. Flora looked at me, laughing silently.

"Try not to break anything!" she warned. I laughed happily and collapsed on a couch.

"He kissed me." I sang.

* * *

Flora and I played all the necessary games, Truth or Dare, bloody Mary... we even tried who could put the most chocolate pieces in their mouth without chewing. We ended up with it all over our faces, causing us endless fits of laughter.

It turned out the Flora was very good at truth or dare, she could pick strange ones.

"Truth or dare?" she asked me.

"Dare." I decided. She grinned.

"Put a pair of Luke's underwear on your head and keep it on there until we're about to fall asleep." I groaned, but slumped over to his bedroom and opened all the drawers. They were a complete mess, but eventually I found a crumpled pair. I wasn't sure if they were clean of not. Trying not to think about it, I put them on my head. I came back into Flora's room. She laughed with glee.

"Very nice."

"Truth or dare?" I asked.

'Truth." she answered.

"Have you ever been in love?" She thought about that.

"Jackson was my first date." she told me, "Before that I'd had none. But I suppose I like people."

"Really?" I asked, "Who?" she shook her head.

"It doesn't matter." she told me, "And it's really complicated." I nodded, it didn't sound like she wanted to talk about it.

"Truth or dare?" she asked.

"Truth." I replied.

"Had you ever been in love before Henry?" she asked me curiously. My heart kinda stopped then. I froze a few seconds before answering.

"Yeah." I admitted. She smiled.

"Was he nice?" she asked, her eyes shining. I nodded slowly.

"He _was_." I replied. She looked confused.

"What do you mean was?" she said. I sighed.

"He started being really mean." I told her, "And calling me bad things." I didn't want to remember anything about him.

"That's not good." she told me. There was a comfortable silence, and I felt my eyes beginning to droop. I yawned.

"I wanna go to sleep." I told her. She nodded.

"So I do." I looked at the pictures on the wall.

"Hey, that's St Mystere." I mumbled, walking over to my bed. I lay down, closing my eyes.

"Kaity?" Flora's frantic voice asked. I sat up.

"Whaaa?" I asked. Her face was full of concern and shock.

"How did you know that was St. Mystere?" she asked, "Did the Professor say anything?"

"No." I told, rubbing my eyes. Why was she making such a big deal out of it?

"How did you know it was St Mystere then? It's not on the maps and the only ones outside of it that are supposed to know are me, Luke and Professor Layton!" I blinked, then it dawned on me. Why hadn't I kept my mouth shut?

Shoot.

* * *

**Oooh, what does Kaity know about St Mystere? This could be bad...**


	10. Panic

I wasn't sure what to say. My mouth opened and closed, but no noise was coming out of it. Flora looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"Well... I..." I stuttered. She looked at me and her face relaxed.

"I know how." she said simply, "You read my diary, didn't you?"

Part of me wanted to tell her that I did, to go with the lie. But I couldn't say that I did something like that. Flora was my friend, no, _best_ friend. I would never read her diary. I shook my head.

"I didn't read your diary." I informed her.

"There's no other explanation." she told me, no emotion on her face.

"Flora, I swear to you, I didn't read your diary. You're my best friend, I would never do something like that." I told her loyally. She was even more confused than before.

"But... if the Professor didn't tell you about St Mystere, and you didn't read my diary, then how _do_ you know?" she asked me. I sighed.

"You won't believe me."

"You don't know that for sure. I've seen some pretty weird things." she said. I shook my head. Her face fell. "I thought we were friends. Friends trust each other." I sighed.

"Ok, I'll tell you." We sat down and I took a deep breath.

"I'm not from this time." There was a pause as I waited for her reply.

"What?" Flora asked, "What do you mean?"

"I'm from the future." I told her. She was silent for a few moments.

"The future?" she repeated slowly, "But... that's impossible."

"I thought so too. Until I found myself here. Fifty years back..."

"That would mean you're from the year 2010." Flora told me, "That's..."

"A lie?" I guessed. She shook her head.

"Amazing." she breathed, "You're telling the truth, I can feel it. But how?"

"I'm not entirely sure." I told her. I explained everything I knew quickly. She was in awe.

"Does the Professor know?" she asked me.

"Yes, and Remi. But they're the only two who know, apart from us that is."

"The future..." Flora murmured again, "What's it like?"

"The Professor told me I should tell anybody much about it. In case it ends up changing for the worst. He told me everything happens for a reason." Flora nodded.

"But how do you know about St Mystere?" she asked me. I hesitated.

"Why do you want to know?" I questioned.

"It's my home." Flora answered simply, "I grew up there."

"Reinhold!" I gasped, suddenly realizing why the name was so familiar, "Why didn't I see it earlier?"

"See what?" Flora asked frantically, "Oh _please_, Kaity, you have no idea how much I need to know all this. St Mystere, it means so much to me. More than you think." I nodded.

"Ok. But Flora, not a word of this to anybody." I sighed and began the story.

"Last year, in History, we were researching mystery towns, towns where things are still unexplained. One of the choices for out project was St Mystere." Flora took in a sharp breath, but she didn't say anything. I continued, "I chose to research it, because I'd heard about it in the newspapers. So I did."

"And what did you find out?" she asked me.

"I found out that... this place, St Mystere, was found full of little machines. Some called them robots. But nobody knows when, why or how they were there." I checked Flora's expression. It was blank, "It seemed like they were human, but in my time, something that advanced would be impossible to build! Yet, there they were. It looked as if they had once worked. But they didn't anymore."

"Like puppets with their strings cut." Flora murmured. I nodded.

"They said the it only looked like one family were actually human. The Reinholds." Flora nodded.

"They were right." she told me. "My Father, Baron Agustus Reinhold, he constructed the whole town. Just for me."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Flora then told me everything, how her mother died, how her father knew he was going to pass away, so he built St Mystere. Just to keep Flora safe. He also hired Bruno, a talented mechanic, to build and control the 'life' of each of the villages, programming them with puzzles, waiting for the right person to come and adopt Flora. And the Professor did.

"I've been with him ever since." Flora finished.

"The town is entirely made up of robots?" I asked, amazed. She nodded.

"Just before I left, I was offered all of my fathers wealth. But if I touched it, the whole town would shut down."

"Like puppets with their strings cut." I quoted. She nodded.

"I couldn't do it. The town... it had watched over me. Taking the money was like killing it. And I'm not a killer." I nodded understandably. Flora suddenly burst into tears.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying to comfort her.

"St Mystere..." she chocked, "You said the people were shut down. There's only one way that could have happened. Somebody must have got the gold."

"It hasn't happened yet." I told her.

"But it will. No matter what."

"You can always... change things, you know." I told her quietly and carefully, "Especially since you know what's going to happen." She looked at me.

"You're right." she told me, "When was St Mystere discovered?"

"I think it was 1970." I told her, "Then the scientists guessed that the robots hadn't worked for a while." I froze at that point, not wanting Flora to ask the next question.

"How long?" she asked. I sighed.

"Roughly ten years." I replied. She immediately stood up, fear in her eyes.

"We're leaving. Now." she told me, going to her wardrobe and pulling out some clothes. I blinked.

"What?"

"We're going to St Mystere."

"You can't just leave!" I told her.

"Yes I can. It could happen any day. Maybe it already has!"

"What will you tell the Professor?"

"I won't tell him anything. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. But you're coming with me." she ordered.

"What makes you think that? Flora, its" I checked my wristwatch, "midnight. You can't just get up and leave. Besides, how will you get there?"

"There's a train station about two miles from St Mystere. I can pay for two tickets." she replied simply, still packing. She ran downstairs. I followed her. She was in the kitchen, packing the remains of the fridge.

"Flora! This is madness!" I told her, "Why can't this wait until morning?" She sighed.

"It might be too late by then. It might be too late now! I have to find out, Kaity!" she said, her voice raising, "I have to go, you have no idea. If St Mystere is in trouble than so am I! Don't you get it?"

Inside, I understood what Flora meant. I knew exactly why she had to do it. I was tempted to give in, to go with her to St Mystere. But the image of the Professor's face, sick with worry, entered my mind.

"What about the Professor?" I asked, "You know he'll be worried. You can't do that to him." That was my last attempt.

"I'll call him." she told me. She picked up the phone and went out of the room. A few minutes later, she came back in. "He says I can go." She didn't look at me directly when she said this. I didn't fully believe her. But Flora was my friend, and I knew that she would go, regardless of whether I went or not. I sighed.

"I'll come. Just let me grab a few things, ok? I'll meet you back down here." she nodded, still searching the cupboards for food. I ran back upstairs into Flora's room. I reached out for the writing pad on her desk. Picking up a pen, I began my letter.

_Dear Professor._

_I have to make this quick, Flora is eager to leave as soon as possible. She said that she called you but I don't think she did. We're going to St Mystere. Flora is panicking over something I said, and I know she'll go alone if I refuse to go._

_I'm sorry I opened my big mouth. I've tried to convince her to calm down, but she won't listen._

_From Kaity._

I folded the note a few times and want into the Professor's room. I placed it on his bedside table, hoping he would get it, and left.

"Hurry up, Kaity!" Flora called. I got changed into some light clothes and met her downstairs.

"Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded.

"We have to leave now." she told me again.

"If your sure..." I said, trailing of. We headed outside into the cool air. I sighed. It seemed like a life time ago that Henry kissed me.

* * *

We got to the train station with no problem. Flora and didn't speak to each other for the whole journey. Flora was probably thinking about St Mystere, worrying whether or not it was still there. I was thinking about the Professor.

When would he get my note? And how would he react? Would he be mad, angered that I had betray him after all he'd done? Or worried about us? I felt guilt sweep through me as I thought about all this. We boarded the first train that came. It took us to a place called Pennyside, which according to Flora was close to St Mystere.

It was going to be a long journey, around five hours. She bought us a delux room with two beds, since we both needed our rest. We both lay down, trying to drone out the noises of the train.

"I'm sorry, Kaity." Flora told me. I was surprised at this.

"For what?"

"For making you come out her with me. It was selfish." I snorted.

"It's fine. Besides, I should be apologizing to you. I was the one who told you what was going to happen. I shouldn't of."

"I'm glad you did, though. As strange as it sounds, I love the robots. They watched me grow up, took care of me. I would die if something happened to them.

"I understand." I said. She smiled.

"Somehow, I always knew you were different." Kaity told me. I blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. I just had a feeling that you weren't from this place. Of course, time travel didn't occur to me until you mentioned it. But it didn't come as a big surprise."

"It did for me." I admitted, "When I first saw the calendar date. I fainted." Flora giggled.

"I'm not surprised. It would have been a shock."

"It did all add up, though." I told her, "The answer to everything was on the tip of my tongue. I just didn't piece it together until I really thought about what the voice said.

"Has the voice told you anything since then?" Flora asked. I shook my head. Come to think of it, the voice hadn't spoken to me in ages.

"I wonder why it hasn't. Maybe I should talk to... it." I suggested. I closed my eyes in concentration.

_Why haven't you spoken to me?_ I asked.

_The better question would be why you haven't spoken to me. _the voice answered, _You don't seem to need my help anymore. _It was strange. The last time I'd heard the voice, it was just like me thinking myself. But now, it seemed to have it's own way of speaking. It was a woman's voice, a kind, comforting voice.

_How did you send me here? _I asked, _How did you get the ability to time travel?_

_You will find out through time, I promise._ the voice told me, _But now, get some rest. You'll need it._ I nodded and opened my eyes.

"What did it say?" Flora asked.

"She." I corrected automatically, "I think the voice is somebody who's a girl. And she basically told me that I don't really need her help anymore and that I'll find out who she is through time. Although I have no idea what that means."

"Strange." Flora replied. She yawned.

"She also told me to get some sleep." I added. Flora laughed.

"That's the best advice I've heard all day." she relaxed on her bed and closed her eyes. She was asleep within a few minutes.

Although I was tired, thoughts kept on swirling around in my head, keeping me awake. Most of them were saying I was an idiot.

_Why didn't you keep your big mouth shut?_ one of them asked.

I wanted to know the answer to that myself.

* * *

**Hey guys! Have you figured out who the voice is yet?**

**So up next is St Mystere. Hope you like the next chapter.**

**GUYS! In November I am entering NaNWriMo (google from more info). It's basically where you have to try and write a novel in a month. My name is CrazyPurpleDancingFreak, so if you're also entering please add me, but make sure you tell me you're from fanfiction. Why am I telling you this?**

**Well if I'm going to be working on my novel for NaNoWriMo then updates for this story will be slower, a lot slower. As we speak I am pre-writing chapters so I don't leave you guys hanging. I will upload them through-out November. BUT! Once I run out of pre-written chapters you will have to wait until November ends for the next update. Sorry**

**:) :) :) Thanks guys (: (: (:**


	11. St Mystere

**OMG! I finished the third Layton game! It was so good, I absolutely loved it! But I didn't like what they did to Flora, they made her sound like a little brat. And I swore they changed her voice, it was too... I don't know. It wasn't like the previous games.**

**Anyhoo, I loved Future Luke, or 'Clive'. He was awesome, even if he did try to destroy London. Anyway, you want to read the story, so here it is :)**

* * *

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Kaity?" Flora told me, "The next stop is in ten minutes. We'd better get ready." I nodded slowly, trying to wake myself up. My head felt foggy, and it took me a few seconds to remember where we were.

On a train, on out way to St Mystere...

Ten minutes later, we were off the train. We decided the sit down by one of the benches and eat the food she had packed. I barely tasted it, I was too worried. Would the Professor have gotten my note yet? Flora noticed my expression.

"It's alright, you know." she told me, "He'll understand." I shook my head.

"He's been so nice to me. I feel like I'm betraying him." She didn't reply. After a few more minutes of silence, we finished up and continued our journey.

* * *

It was a warm summer's day, which made the walk seem a little more pleasant. But I was still worried. I had no idea how much time had passed, but soon I could see a town in the distance.

"Please be ok..." Flora kept on muttering over and over again. Finally, we reached a draw bridge. It was up.

"Now what do we do?" I asked her. She ignored me.

"Franco!" she called, "Are you there?" There was no reply, and this worried Flora a great deal. "Franco! It's me, Flora Reinhold. Could you please lower the bridge?" Still no reply.

"Is there another way in?" I asked, frowning.

"There might be. Follow me!" We ran, following the moat. Eventually we found it stopped. Instead there was a brick wall. "We can go over this." she told me, already beginning to climb.

"If you say so..." I murmured, climbing myself. I found a part with vines that helped me up. I could tell Flora was struggling. "Come over here." I told her, "The vines are good grip" She made her way slowly toward me, but she lost her footing. It was like in slow motion, one second she was there, the next she was gone.

"FLORA!" I yelled, "Are you ok?" There was a faint mumbling from the other side of the wall. I quickly climbed over and ran beside her.

"Ow." Flora muttered, rubbing her head, "That hurt."

"Are you alright?" I asked quickly. She nodded.

"I'll live." We both smiled and I helped her up. I looked around me. The place was trashed, there was no denying it. It looked like a travelling circus.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"The park." Flora replied, "It used to be a fairground."

"Nice." I replied. We kept on walked, only to find that the entrance to the park was locked as well.

"Sylvain!" Flora complained, "He should have this gate opened!" In the end we had to climb that gate as well. Thankfully neither of us fell that time. We looked around us. The town was deserted. Flora's face fell.

"Don't worry. Maybe there's something important going on!" I suggested. She shrugged and we continued our investigation of the town.

Walking through St Mystere was like walking into a dream. When I was researching it for my project, I saw many pictures of it. But none quite like this. The town seem like a much cheerful place than in the photographs, even if it was deserted.

"We should go the the manor." Flora told me, "Maybe Lady Dahlia's home." I nodded, thinking of how awkward it would be to have a robotic step mother. We reached the manor, not meeting a single person/robot along the way. We opened the doors slowly, and relief rushed through us both.

The manor was crowded. It seemed like every inhabitant of the town was there, for some unknown reason. All eyes were on us as we entered.

"Young Miss?" a squeaky voice asked. It belonged to a small man who was holding a tray of food. I guessed that he was some sort of servant. Flora smiled.

"Hello, Matthew. It's me!" she answered happily, "Why are you all here?"

"Flora darling! Oh it's so good to see you!" a posh but loving voice said. A woman came through the crowd. She looked an awful lot like Flora, and she was holding a white fluffy cat. I guessed she was Lady Dahlia. Flora hugged her. "Who is this?"

"This is my best friend, Kaity." she replied, "Why is everybody here? What's going on?" Was it just my imagination or was there a saddened look on everyones face?

"We didn't have a choice. It was like somebody was controlling us all!" a small man with red hair and glasses told me. Flora looked worried.

"But... why would somebody do that?" she asked.

"I believe I can answer that." a new voice sneered. I looked up. On top of the stairs there was a man. He wore a red and purple coat and black pants, and he had a look of pure evil on him. Flora gasped in terror.

"You..." she murmured. He gave a twisted smile.

"Who are you?" I asked rudely. He looked at me in interest.

"I could ask the same question. Surely Layton hasn't adopted _another_ brat?" He looked at me, "I am Don Paolo. Oh, the man that is trying to kill Layton for unknown reasons. Now I remembered.

"Why are you here?" I snapped.

"I don't believe that's any of your business." he sneered. Flora looked around in terror. I followed her gaze. She was looking at the wall, the one that a whole fortune was behind. She looked at the crowd of robots.

"Why don't you all just leave?" Flora asked the crowd of robots. They shook her head in sadness. For a moment I forget that they weren't human.

"We just can't." Lady Dahlia answered. I nodded. Flora looked at me in confusion.

"He's programmed them." I murmured, "So now he's in control. He called them all here."

"Why would he bother?" she asked.

"What are you two whispering about?" Paolo snapped.

"Let them go!" I ordered. He laughed.

"I've given them plenty of opportunities to leave, trust me. But they refuse to tell me where they're hiding the gold." So he _was_ after the Reinhold fortune...

"None of them know!" Flora burst out.

"Then who does? I know you haven't found it yet because otherwise the robots would be shut down! So who really knows?" Flora sighed. I could tell what she was going to do. I wanted to stop her, but I would have been to late.

"I do." Flora answered. Her voice stayed strong, but I could tell that she regretted saying anything. Now no matter what the robots would shut down.

Paolo would either smash them until he found out, or actually find out and have them shut down automatically.

"Really? Well why hasn't the whole town shut down then?" he asked. Then it dawned on him. He threw back his head and laughed, making his way done the stairs. "Don't tell me... you sacrificed all that fortune... just for a whole bunch of lifeless robots? That's a joke." Flora wanted to say something, but she just couldn't. Finally, she spoke.

"Let them go." she said in a timid voice.

"Why should I? You can't make me, I have them all under my control. I could make them kill your little friend right now if I wanted to." he told her, gesturing to me. I shivered. "So speak, girl, and tell me where the gold is."

"No." Flora answered. Don Paolo's eyes narrowed.

"_No?_ Are you sure about that?" he asked. Flora nodded, though a little uncertainly.

"I can't let you do this." she told him. He nodded.

"Just so you know, you won't be the one paying the price." he told her. Suddenly, all the robots left. Flora and I watched in confusion. They shut the door after them. I looked up just in time to see Paolo jump down from the staircase and grab hold of my wrist. I gasped in pain, trying to get away. But he kept a firm grip. Flora looked at me in horror.

"Get off me!" I told him, struggling. He began twisting my arm. I yelped in pain, trying to break free.

"Please! Stop!" Flora yelled, a few tears appearing in her eyes. She came toward us but he pulled out something. A knife. I froze in fear, so did Flora.

"You know what you have to do." he told her, pulling me back in a headlock. I gagged, I could barely breath. "Try anything funny and she gets it."

"Don't... do it!" I said weakly. I felt a hand cover my mouth and nose. I tried to breathe, but I couldn't. The world began to spin around me... and suddenly I just couldn't see anything. I collapsed and he let me go. I was gasping for air, and slowly my vision returned. I tried to get up, but my hands were shaking too much. Flora ran over to me.

"Kaity?" she asked me, "Are you ok!"

"Flora... run!" I told her with the last of my energy.

"No." she told me, "I won't leave you here." I shook my head.

Don Paolo laughed. I felt pressure on my neck, as well as a lot of pain. It was suddenly so hard to breath.

"Last chance." he warned Flora.

"Fine!" Flora told him, "I'll tell you." He gave a smile of satisfaction and I felt the pressure go away. I began breathing again, sitting up slowly. My arm still hurt a lot. I watched as Flora walked over to the portrait of herself and carefully pressed on part of the paintings neck. Suddenly, the whole wall shifted, moving to the side. It revealed a little gap. Don Paolo grinned slyly as he made his way there. Sadness welled up inside me. I saw tears flowing down Flora's cheeks.

So this was it. St Mystere's end. Would it have happened if I hadn't of interrupted? Or was it because of Flora and me that he found out? I didn't want it to be the latter.

I couldn't let it happen, I needed to try one last attempt.

"You can't do this!" I told Paolo fiercely. I jumped up and lunged at him. He was taken by surprise and knocked over, falling on his side. He stood up quickly, grabbing me by my collar and throwing me aside. I stumbled into one of the way, slipping and collapsing to the ground.

"Those last five minutes," he sneered, "Were the biggest mistake of your life." I lay there, my brain not thinking properly. I had barely heard what he said. I barely felt it when Flora hugged me, nor did I hear it when she cried, saying she was sorry. And I barely saw it when Professor Layton came through the door with Luke by his side.

I was unaware of all those things.

* * *

I woke up when I felt two strong arms rest me down on a comfortable surface. A couch, I guessed. My eyes opened feebly. I saw the darkness, but eventually shapes began to appear.

"Kaity? Are you awake?" the Professor asked. I nodded, or rather moved my head slightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Weird." I answered, "What happened?" I remembered bits and pieces, but not everything.

"From which part?" he asked me, his voice serious, "The part when me and Luke just arrived to find you passed out on the floor? Or the part when we arrive home and found no trace of you and Flora except for a vague note?" I wasn't sure whether to answer or not. I felt guilty.

"Sorry." I mumbled eventually. His expression softened.

"No, I'm sorry." he told me, "Flora's already explained everything to me. I shouldn't have pressed on the subject. You're in no state to answer questions, regardless." he told me. This confused me.

"How long have I been out?" I questioned, slowly returning to my old self.

"A few hours." he replied, "But you have a few nasty bruises. You scared us all."

"Really?" I said, thinking about it. I felt sore, but not too bad. "So what exactly did happen? When you and Luke arrived?" He sighed.

"The last person I expected to be there was Paolo. And yet he was. When I saw you on the ground, I panicked. But I managed to calm down enough to get him away from the gold and smash the remote that was controlling the robots. He left soon after." I sighed in relief.

"So the town's ok?" I asked. He nodded.

"It's all thanks to you, you know." he told me. I smiled.

"The look on Flora's face... it was painful. I couldn't let him do something like that." He nodded understandably.

"Sacrifices must be made every so often. Right now I think the best thing to do is get some rest." My stomach rumbled.

"And food." I added.

"Of course. Just relax and I'll be back in a moment." I nodded, closing my eyes. A few minutes later, somebody entered the room. I thought it was the Professor.

"Kaity?" I opened my eyes and looked up. It was Flora.

"Flora!" I cried happily, jumping off the couch. I regretted it, it hurt my arm and gave my a headache. "Ouch..." I mumbled. Flora helped me back on the couch.

"I'm so glad you're ok." she told me, "I was really scared." I smiled.

"I'm fine. And the town's fine. Flora, we did it! We changed the future! St Mystere's going to be ok!" She nodded.

"I know. It's just... the thought of losing you, Kaity. It was terrible." she explained. I took a deep breath.

"You know that I have to leave sometime." I told her, "As soon as the Professor and I find out why Sarah wants to marry my uncle I'll go back to the future." She nodded sadly.

"I'll miss you." she said, giving me a hug. I sighed.

"I'll miss you too, Flora." I told her, meaning every word.

* * *

**Hope you liked the chapter and that you didn't think it was too... I don't know. Stupid? Corny?**


	12. Seperated

**I know this story is meant to be in Kaity's point of view, but halfway through I changed it. It kind of makes it easier. Anyway, enjoy :)**

* * *

We stayed in St Mystere for a few days afterwards. I didn't know what it was, but the town grew on me. Through the residents' constant puzzles to the fresh air of the country, it was all great. I soon forgot the awkwardness of all the robots and enjoyed myself. But we had to travel home, all good things come to an end eventually.

"Are you girls ready?" Lady Dahlia asked Flora and I. Were had both been staying in Flora's old room, I was amazed at just how wonderful it was. It was full of priceless treasures and expensive jewelry, and every day there were freshly picked flowers put in there, just a little gift from Matthew.

"Almost!" Flora answered cheerfully, packing the same bag she had taken. I had nothing to do, so I was merely looking out the window.

"I've packed you all some lunch." Lady Dahlia told us, "Or rather, Matthew did." I smiled. Professor Layton appeared by the doorway.

"We should get going now, if we want to get home before dark." he informed us. I nodded, joining him and Luke in the parlor. I looked behind to see Flora hugging Lady Dahlia. It reminded me of my own mother, and a small wave of sadness overcame me. I tried to ignore it as I smiled, along with Layton and Luke.

* * *

The trip back was less boring than I thought it would be. I thought that since I didn't have an iPod and I was stuck in a car with Luke, who wouldn't stay quiet for more than a few seconds, that it would be boring. But it was really fun. Luke sat in the front with Flora and myself in the back, which was quite spacious. Even if Luke talked throughout most of the journey, it didn't mean that we had to listen. Once or twice I saw the Professor roll his eyes. I had to stifle a giggle.

Flora and I talked about St Mystere. She proudly told me again how Bruno built the robots from scratch, even though I'd heard the story before. We hadn't actually met him in the few days we were there.

"He prefers being alone." Flora explained to me, "He's sort of shy. But he watched over me all those years, I don't know what I would have done without him."

We ended up stopping to eat the lunch Matthew had packed. And that's when things started to go downhill.

I kept on getting a feeling that somebody was watching us. I turned around often just to check, but nobody was there.

"Are you ok, Kaity?" the Professor asked. I nodded. While Flora went to get a drink from a nearby tap, he looked at me. "You can feel it too, that we're being watched." he said. It wasn't a question. I nodded.

"Yes." I replied, "Do you know who it is?"

"I'm not entirely sure." he admitted, "But I don't think they're a friend." A shiver went down my spine. I ate the rest of my lunch quickly, wanting to get out of there. Flora came back soon after.

"Let's go!" she us. We all piled into the car and left.

It seemed there was more tension in the air than last time. Flora seemed to have quietened down a lot, even when I tried to make a conversation. Luke seemed to know something was wrong too, because he stopped talking as well. It was somewhat awkward.

"Are you feeling ok, Flora?" Professor Layton asked. She didn't answer. Suddenly, the car stopped. I looked around in confusion, so did the Professor and Luke. Flora gave a twisted grin, the same one I'd seen before. I felt my heart drop.

"You're not Flora." I told her. Her smile became even bigger.

"Well done, Kaity." Flora told me. Her voice was hers, but another voice was overlapping it. A man's voice, "However, I would have thought Flora's best friend would have discovered me sooner." In a flash Flora pulled off her face. Or mask. Instead, there was another person. Don Paolo.

"Don't bother trying to escape." he told us, pulling out a remote of some sort, "I've altered your car so I'm in control, and I've locked the doors." My heart thudded painfully in my chest. Memories of the day Flora and I came into St Mystere flooded into my mind. I mostly remembered the pain he had caused me.

"What do you want, Paolo?" Hershel asked, his voice calm. Beside him, Luke trembled in fear.

"Many things, Layton." he said lazily, "But today my main goal, is her." he told us, pointing to me. Fear gripped me. So many possibilities of why he would want me rushed through my head, some of which I didn't want to think about.

"Why do you want Kaity?" Luke asked him.

"Don't you know?" Paolo asked, amused, "I thought she would have told _you_ by now, it's not exactly a secret anymore." I looked at him, wondering how he knew.

"Tell me what?" Luke demanded, looking at me with accusing eyes. Don Paolo gestured to me. I shook my head in disbelief.

"How do you know?" I asked him. He smiled.

"I have my ways. You and Flora weren't exactly quiet whenever you spoke about it in the past few days. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole town heard." He said, "Are you going to tell the brat or not?" I sighed.

"I'm from the future, Luke." I told him. If the situation wasn't so serious then I would have laughed at his reaction.

"WHAT!" he burst out, "What do you mean, 'from the future'!" I opened my mouth to explain but Paolo interrupted.

"It doesn't matter." he snapped, pressing a button on the remote. The Laytonmobile shot forward at full speed. The Professor attempted to hit the brakes, but it didn't work.

"Where are you taking us? And what did you do with Flora?" he asked, his voice still calm, although a hint of seriousness was there.

"The first doesn't matter. As for Flora, she's where you left her."

"What did you do to her?" I demanded. He shrugged.

"It was only a small dosage of a sleeping drug. She'll be awake by now." he told us, "And enough talking, it's giving me a headache. You don't want to get on my bad side. Not today." We stayed silent.

I was thinking about what he was going to do to us, or more precisely, to me. Luke was probably wondering how I was from the future. And Professor Layton would probably have been thinking of a way out.

* * *

It was clear that Paolo wanted to get wherever he was going fast. After a few sharp turns, with the rest of us jolting around, I'd had enough. The silence was unbearable and I hated him with all my heart.

"If you're going to drive at least drive safely." I snapped.

"Kaity..." the Professor warned me.

"What?" I asked innocently, "If he's going to kidnap us then I at least want the satisfaction of annoying the heck out of him." I couldn't be bothered speaking properly. Like Don Paolo said, the secret was out.

"That wouldn't be wise." the Professor told me. Don Paolo nodded.

"He's right. The more you annoy me now the more you'll pay for it later. And I already have some things in mind..." he told me. I didn't care.

"Whatever." I said, pretending not to care, "At least I can dress properly." I felt satisfied at his reaction.

"For your information, I have wonderful taste in clothes." he informed me. I snorted.

"Sure, sure." I told him, looking away. There was a bit of a silence.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Paolo burst out. I grinned.

"Oh please. The coat is terrible, there's no other word for it." He glared at me for a moment.

"I wouldn't speak out of term if I were you, brat." he hissed. I shrugged.

"Hey, it's not like you're going to let me go anytime soon. I might as well make the most of the situation."

"Ugh!" he groaned, holding his head. I grinned and continued talking. A few times I heard Luke giving a snort of laughter.

After a while we reached an old shed. The car doors automatically unlocked. I suddenly felt afraid, almost regretting annoying him earlier.

Almost.

I wanted nothing more than to curl up in Sam's arms, to hug him and let him tell me everything would be ok. But I kept a calm face, pretending everything was fine.

"Get out." Don Paolo ordered, glaring at me. I opened the door and stepped out into the cool air at the same time as him. The Professor and Luke tried to get out as well, but Paolo put his foot on the door.

"You leave now." he hissed, slamming the door shut. He pressed a button on the remote and I heard the doors lock. I looked at the Professor in shock, who looked back at me. He began banging on the window. Don Paolo pressed another button and the Laytonmobile sped off in the horizon. I watched it until it was just a little speck in the distance.

"Why did you make them come if you were just going to get rid of them!" I asked.

"Do you really think they would have let me take you without putting up a fight?" he snapped, "Besides, I need them for something else."

"Where are you making them go?" I demanded. He smiled.

"It really depends, doesn't it?" he said mysteriously, "I mean, I could make them crash right into a building. Or even better, off a cliff! You wouldn't want that, would you?" I felt a large lump rise in my throat. I shook my head. "Then you'd better give me the answers I want." He sneered, "And your little stunt of annoying me before won't go unnoticed.

Karma sucks. It really does.

* * *

**Professor Layton's POV:**

"You leave now." Paolo hissed, slamming the door shut. I heard the doors lock, and Kaity looked at me in shock. I felt panic rise within me; I couldn't leave her with him. I began banging on the door in a feeble attempt to escape. I saw him press another button, and suddenly we were shooting forward into the distance, faster than I would have thought was possible.

"Where are we going?" Luke yelled, curling up in a ball, terrified.

"I'm not sure!" I replied, holding on to my beloved top hat.

"Professor I'm scared!" Luke squeaked, burying his face in his hands.

"It'll be ok. We just have to..." I told him, trailing off. I wasn't actually sure what we had to do.

"Do what?" Luke asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, my boy." I admitted, "I suppose we should examine the car, just to see if there's anything that's letting Don Paolo control it." Luke nodded and crawled into the backseat while I examined the driver's controls. It took me a while, but after a thorough search I concluded nothing was out of the ordinary. No extra switches, loose screws or hidden wires. I sighed and crawled into the back with Luke.

"Any luck?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nothing." He told me, sighing and sitting down.

"We can't give up yet!" I protested, "Kaity needs us!" This seemed to bring him back into action as he began his search again. I looked at my car lovingly before pulling the seats forward, completely ripping the cover off. I looked underneath it. I was about to put it back when I noticed a small, thin wire running through it.

"Luke! Look at this!" I told him, pointing to the wire. Luke smiled.

"Yes!" he said triumphantly, "I bet if we cut the wire it would disable the connection between the car and the remote!" I frowned, something didn't feel right…

"No, Luke." I told him as he reached for the wire, "I have no doubt that this is a decoy. Don Paolo knew we would try and escape. He would hardly make it this easy, would he?"

"I suppose not." Luke admitted, "But where is the real wire?"

"I'm not too sure. But I think I have a way of finding out." I smiled and silently thanked Remi for making my car a hatchback. I climbed into the boot, following the wire. I sighed when I saw it went outside the car. My hands started shaking and I took a few deep breaths. I knew what I had to do.

"Luke, my boy?" I asked, my voice slightly faint, "In the front seat there's a button that opens the boot. Would you press it for me?" He nodded and crawled into the front, pressing the button. Thankfully, the boot opened, revealing the scene around us.

"Are we going to jump?" Luke asked me, voice shocked. I chuckled.

"No. Even if we did we'd never get to Kaity in time." I told him. I slowly and carefully stepped outside, holding on to the top of the car for extra support. I felt the wind rushing past and my top hat seemed like it would fall off any second. I closed my eyes as images of myself falling popped into my head. I felt a sickening feeling in my stomach as I looked down at the earth rushing past me.

"Professor?" Luke asked, shocked. I ignored him, looking for the little wire. I spotted it and crouched down to examine it. It led to the bottom of the car.

I slowly put my hand under the car, searching for something. I felt a small item and I pulled it up. It was a little device that was connected to a wire. I recognized it.

"It's a bomb." I informed Luke, "If we had of cut the wire it would have been set off."

"Really?" he asked, a hint of admiration in his voice, "Lucky we didn't, hey?" I nodded, putting the bomb back where it was. "Professor? Why are you putting it back?" he asked.

"It won't go off, Luke. I promise. It's too risky to move it." I explained. Luke didn't look convinced, but regardless didn't mention it again. I felt under the car for something else, but I didn't find anything. That couldn't be right, there would have to be something under there…

"Odd." I murmured, hopping back into the car.

"Now what?" Luke asked. I closed my eyes and thought for a moment. I should have listened more when Remi told me about cars and how they worked. All I knew was that the main controls were in the bonnet... I smiled.

"I have a feeling he altered the car from inside the bonnet. Maybe if I open it I'll be able to disable the machine." I suggested, "Luke, when I tell you to, press that little button over there, you got it?" He nodded. I left out the fact that I didn't know how I would get to the front of the car in the first place. I sighed as I went outside again. Trying hard not to fall, I jumped onto the roof or the car. I held on to my top hat as the wind rushed past me.

And that's when I saw it.

Up ahead, I could see the distinct shape of a canyon. There was a rocky ledge with a sharp drop off.

Unless I disabled the machine soon, we were going to fall.

* * *

**I love cliff-hangers so much! And that one was literally a cliff hanger haha XD **


	13. Reunited

**Hey, just so you guys know it's still on Layton's POV.**

* * *

A wave of panic rushed through me. I had to stay calm though, our lives (not to mention Kaity's as well) depended on it. Picking up the pace, I made my way to the front of the car. I looked through the window and met Luke's scared yet interested stare. I gave him thumbs up but I regretted it after, as I began to slip. I managed to stabilize myself before moving to the very front of the bonnet. With trembling fingers I attempted to open it up. It didn't work.

"Luke!" I yelled, "Press the button!" he nodded and I heard a little click. But the bonnet didn't open fully. I looked up and saw the canyon getting closer and closer. I tried to pry open the bonnet, and little by little it came up. I peeked inside and saw a strange device attached to the engine. Thankfully, it wasn't attached on very well. I ripped it off. I looked up. We were getting closer and closer to the edge.

"LUKE!" I yelled, "HIT THE BRAKES!" He nodded, and all of a sudden the car stopped. I jolted forward and fell off the car, falling dangerously close to the edge.

I felt dazed and confused, nothing seemed to make sense. I tried to sit up, but the earth beneath me began to crumble away. I heard a loud _crack_ and I felt myself falling down. In panic I shoot my hand up and held on to the edge. I could feel how unstable the rock edge was, as well as the sharp pain in my wrist as it was being cut into.

"PROFESSOR!" Luke cried. I could hear his footsteps coming closer.

"Luke!" I warned, "Don't come over here!" My hand began to slip.

"Why not?" he asked.

"It's too dangerous. You might fall."

"But what will you do?" he asked me, "You need to get up!" I nodded and tried. I felt another crack and made the mistake of looking down. I suddenly felt sick and loosened my grip slightly. My heart was thudding in my chest.

"Professor, you can do it." Luke told me desperately. I nodded and felt the edge crumble even more. It was now or never.

I quickly put my other hand on one edge and pulled myself up. The edge disconnected just as jumped out of the way. I closed my eyes, my heart rate slowing down. I relaxed, still trembling slightly.

"Professor? Are you alright?" Luke asked, running over to me. I nodded, relief still washing over me. I slowly stood up.

"Well, that was a shock, wasn't it!" I told him, adjusting my top hat. I walked over to my car and leaned against it, sighing. Thank goodness we were safe.

I snapped back into action when I remembered Kaity. We had to go back for her.

"Come, Luke. We must hurry back to Kaity."

"Right!" he said, hopping back into the car. I then remembered something. I opened the bonnet of the car again and took out the device Don Paolo had planted in it. I walked closer to the edge and threw it over. Luke looked at me, confused.

"I'm fairly certain there was a tracking device in that as well. He would know we escaped if we didn't get rid of it." I explained, "The element of surprise will help us in this situation." I hopped in the driver's side and started the engine. Everything seemed to work perfectly, so we continued on, speeding into the direction we had come from.

* * *

**Kaity's POV:**

The shed wasn't a nice place to be.

It smelt of rust and hay, not to mention the fact that it was just plain dirty. Altogether, it was disgusting. Don Paolo looked at me in a mixture of hatred and disgust.

"Sit." He ordered, pointing to one of the chairs in the corner. I didn't trust him.

"I'd rather not." I replied. His eyes narrowed and he pressed a button on the remote. "What did that do?" I asked, trying to keep the panic from my voice.

"Just making Layton take a short cut to the cliff." He told me casually, "At this rate they'll arrive in roughly six minutes. Unless, of course, you do as I say." I glared at him before sitting down in the seat. As soon as I did, a strip of metal came out both of the arm rests, binding my hands together. I rolled my eyes.

"Because I _so_ wasn't expecting that." I told him, my voice dripping in sarcasm. He laughed.

"You can't pull the tough act on me, kid." He said, "Because you wanna know something? I can see past it."

"Sure." I told him. I made a clear point of ignoring him, looking around me.

"I hold all the cards you know." He reminded me, "You are powerless." I tried to ignore that, but deep down I knew it was true.

He could hurt me. He could hurt the Professor and Luke as well. I couldn't let that happen. I slowly looked up at him.

"Why have you brought me here?" He smiled in satisfaction.

"You really can't guess?" he asked, "Not at all?" I sighed.

"Why don't you just tell me, it will save us both some time." I pointed out.

"Well, how about we start with this?" he suggested. "You are from the future. And you just so happen to be here with vital information. Information I could use." I nodded, having a bad feeling about the situation. He leaned forward. "You have five minutes before the car goes over the edge. I suggest you spill."

"I can't tell you!" I protested, "I really can't. It could change everything!" He laughed.

"So you and your little friend coming to St Mystere to stop me wasn't changing anything at all." It wasn't a question, "I was meant the get the gold, you knew it. But no, you couldn't hurt her _feelings_, could you?" I shook my head.

"That was different." I told him, "St Mystere was made to be a secret."

"It isn't different at all!" he snapped, "Either way, you changed what was supposed to happen."

"I changed it for the best!"

"You don't know that." He snarled, "Now are you going to tell me? Or do I have to speed up the car?" I hung my head.

"What do you want to know?" I asked finally. He smiled.

"I want to know everything about inventions. What they are and how they work." He ordered. I groaned inside.

"I have no idea _how_ they work." I told him, "I just use them."

"Well at least tell me what they've invented." He demanded somewhat impatiently.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked.

"If those things are successful in your time, then surely I can make them work in mine." He explained, "I'll be rich." I sighed, going through my head. What kinds of inventions did he want to know about? Things like mobile phones and iPods? Or inventions that actually helped the world? **(In my opinion iPods and mobile phones have helped the world, but…) **I closed my eyes and thought. I couldn't tell him, but I couldn't not tell him, either… I needed to buy some time. And what better way to do it then to lie?

"Well, there are teleportation devices." I told him, keeping my face straight. His eyes almost popped out of his head.

"Really?" he asked in amazement.

"Yeah. But one of them went wrong, and instead of teleporting me it brought me here." I lied. He looked at me.

"Is it open to the public?" he questioned. I wondered what that had to do with anything.

"Umm…" I said, thinking hard, "No, not yet."

"Then how did you gain access to it?" Oh crud, he'd caught me out.

"Because I was a special guest at the opening!" I blurted out. He raised an eyebrow.

"I see. So who invented this machine?" he asked.

"Some science guy." I told him. As soon as I said it I regretted not making up a fake name. I hung my head, knowing I wasn't the best of liars.

"_Some science guy_?" he repeated, "You were invited to a grand opening of a wonderful invention and you don't even know who invented it?" He shook his head in disbelief. I swallowed.

"Yeah." I replied. He leaned forward once again.

"You're a terrible liar, you know." He whispered. I felt a shiver go down my spine. He looked at the remote and pressed a button. A little TV screen was revealed. He showed it to me.

It was like a map. From what I could tell it was showing the area around us. He zoomed it in. I noticed a red dot that was moving toward… a canyon.

"See that red dot?" he asked me, "That's the car which has Layton and the brat in it. As you can see, it's heading toward a cliff. Quite fast."

"No…" I murmured, "NO! You can't do this!"

"You can save them." He snapped, "All you have to do it tell me about the future." I shook my head. The Professor's words came back to me, back to that day when I told him I was from the future.

_Whatever you do in this time could change the future quite a bit. You must be very cautious…_

"I can't tell you." I chocked, "I-it's not right." He looked furious.

"Fine." Paolo snapped, "If you won't tell me, I suppose there is no point in keeping Layton and Luke alive."

"Please." I begged, "Don't do this." He ignored me, pressing a few buttons on the remote. He showed me the screen again. The Laytonmobile was so close to the cliff...

And all of a sudden it stopped.

"Blast…" Don Paolo muttered, whacking the remote. I watched the red dot, praying silently for it not to move. I was almost sure it wouldn't, after about thirty seconds of being stationed. But suddenly…

"NO!" I screamed as I saw the red dot tumble off the cliff. He grinned.

"Finally, they're gone." He said triumphantly. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks as I thought over this. My hands trembled and sobs rock through me. I was a murder, no better than Don Paolo.

"They're gone…" I wailed. I thought of the Professor. He had been so kind to me and I had led him to his death. I thought of Luke, annoying, yet innocent. I thought of Flora. She had nobody now, what would happen to her? She would hate me forever, I had let her down. I had caused all of them nothing but pain.

"You could have saved them." Don Paolo told me in a mocking tone. My sadness was replaced by anger. How could he?

I aimed a kick in his direction. I hit his kneecap and heard a satisfying cracking sound.

"Blast!" he yelped, swearing and holding on to his knee. He glared at me, "You'll regret that you little brat." He hissed, "We're going to be here a very long time. Nobody knows where we are. So you will suffer and pay for that." I didn't reply. I just closed my eyes, the grief washing over me again. They were gone.

In my head I could hear Luke's cute voice, telling me an interesting new fact about animals. I could hear the Professor telling me a puzzle and chuckling playfully when I gave a stupid answer. I also heard, in the distance somewhere, a car engine. My eyes snapped open. It sounded too realistic…

Had somebody found Flora? Had she explained the situation, and a a result, they were looking for us? Surely they would search the shed… wouldn't they?

_A word of advice?_ a clear and defined voice told me, a little bit of humor in her voice, _You might want to shuffle to the right a little._ I didn't ask why, I just did as I was told. I heard the car getting closer. Don Paolo heard it too.

"Don't bother giving your hopes up." He snapped, looking at my hopeful expression, "They won't come by here." I closed my eyes. He was right, why would they bother stopping by a rusty old shed?

But why did the voice ask me to move to the right?

I heard the splintering of wood. I looked up to see that a car had completely smashed through one of the walls of the shed, landing where I had been sitting just a moment ago. But not just any car. The Laytonmobile. The door opened and Professor Layton ran over to me.

"Professor!" I cried, unable to contain my happiness. He smiled slightly as he tried to undo the metal bar. Don Paolo gaped at him.

"This is impossible!" he stuttered, "You went off the cliff!" Hershel ignored him, still trying to undo the metal bar. He looked up at Don Paolo.

"Release her." He ordered.

"Why should I?" Don Paolo sneered, "You don't exactly pose as a threat!"

"I could say the same to you. But considering I can actually walk properly…" the Professor said, trailing off. Don Paolo looked at his knee, which was swelling up at an alarmingly fast rate.

"Fine." He snapped, deactivating the chair. The metal bars came up, I was free.

"Thank you." I told the Professor.

"What about me?" Luke asked. I smiled at him.

"Thank you too, Luke." We all piled into a car, watched by a dumbfounded Don Paolo.

"But, you fell off the cliff…" he said weakly. Professor Layton backed out, and we sped back along the road. I sighed and leaned back into the chair.

"Thank you." I said again.

"It's alright, I'm just glad you're ok!" Luke piped up, "Next stop, home!"

"Not so fast, Luke." Hershel told him, "We need to pick up Flora first." Luke groaned.

"Do we have to?" he asked seriously.

* * *

We went back to where we had lunch previously. Flora was there, tears in her eyes. She hugged the Professor and I tightly, crying softly.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" she burst out, "I was so worried!"

"Everything's alright, dear..." the Professor comforted her.

We all headed home, both Luke and Flora had fallen asleep. I was in the front seat with the Professor.

"I was thinking…" I told him. He half looked in my direction while looking at the road.

"Yes?" he asked. I took a deep breath.

"I'm in the past. I can stop so many things from happening." I explained. He sighed.

"Like what?" he asked. So many tragic events poured into my mind. Things like 9/11 and bushfires, but one in particular.

"Like my parents death." I whispered, looking down. He hesitated before answering.

"I know it hurts." He told me softly, "But you can't stop death. It's messing with the laws of nature."

"I know.: I said sadly, looking out of the window. But… I can change so many things! It seems like a waste to not do anything."

"I have a strong feeling that you were sent here to change something." The Professor admitted, "Not just saving St Mystere."

"Really?" I asked, sounding hopeful.

"Whether or not that something is related to your parents I don't know."

"When will we know?" I asked.

"Only time will tell." he said wistfully.

* * *

**So there you are, another chapter. Hope you liked it! And yes, I will be getting to Kaity's uncle and lost aunt soon enough, you'll see. So sorry for slow updates, guys, I really am. But like I said a few chapters ago, I'm currently doing NaNoWriMo (google for more info) and time for fanfiction is slim. The chapters I'm posting up right now are all ones that I wrote about a month ago, just to keep you entertained in the meantime. Once November's over I'll begin this again, and updates will definitely be faster. **


	14. The Voice Returns

We returned home, after that. Things returned to the usual routine. The Professor and I still had no luck finding my uncle, or grandparents, and Flora and I went back to school. Mary still hadn't returned.

"Where exactly did she go?" I asked Jackson and Henry, "I don't think I asked her." Jackson shrugged.

"I think she said she was going to visit an old friend or hers in the country." Henry answered. I smiled, then froze. Something seemed awfully familiar…

"What's her last name?" I asked them. They looked at me funny.

"Belliting." Flora replied. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." I answered quickly, my head spinning. I needed a place to think, "I'll be right back guys. I just need the toilet." I quickly ran off. I kept on running until I reached a group of trees. Nobody would see me there. I closed my eyes and though back to a memory, one of Sam.

_I looked at my uncle, tears in my eyes._

_"They're gone..." I wailed softly, sobbing even harder. He pulled me into a close hug, rocking me gentle._

_"It'll be ok, sweetheart." he told me softly, "I promise." I wanted to yell, to scream. To blame him for everything. But I knew I couldn't._

_"How do you know?" I asked him, "You've never lost anybody!" He stayed silent for a moment._

_"I lost somebody very special, actually." he told me, "Somebody whom I loved dearly."_

_"Who was she?" I asked curiously, wanting to know more. He gave me a half smile._

_"I was very young, Kaity." he told me, "And when I say lost her, I mean she moved away. Far away. But she was beautiful. The most beautiful person I'd ever met."_

_"How old were you?" I asked. He sighed. _

_"I was only thirteen at the time. But I felt like I was old enough to understand things like that. One thing I do know though... she was perfect. Her laugh was like birds singing in the morning..."_

_"What was her name, Uncle Sam?" I asked curiously._

_"Mary..." he cooed softly, "Mary Belliting."_

_"Did she love you back?" I asked him. He nodded._

_"She told me quite often that she did."_

_"Why don't you get married?" I asked him, "You're fifty-five. You should be married by now."_

_"Once I find the right girl, I will get married." he told me, "Not a moment sooner."_

I opened my eyes in shock once I realized all this. Mary… Mary was Sam's girlfriend, or something of the sort.

"Kaity?" Flora said, a little uncertainly. I looked up, "Are you alright?"

"How old's Mary?" I asked, ignoring her question.

"Fourteen." She replied, "Why? What's going on?" It all fitted…

"Flora, Mary was my uncle's girlfriend!" I told her, laughing. Flora looked confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Flora, Sam told me ages ago, on the night that my parents died, that he had been in love with a girl called Mary Belliting. But when he was thirteen, she moved away. She moved here, to London!"

"Yes…" Flora said, "But how does that change things at all?" I was bursting with excitement.

"Don't you see?" I almost yelled, "Mary went to visit and old friend of hers in the country. What if the friend is Sam? She would know where he is!" Slowly a wide smile appeared on Flora's face.

"Kaity, that's brilliant!" she said, hugging me tightly, "As soon as Mary gets back we'll ask her where exactly she went!" I nodded.

"We have to go tell the Professor!"

"We will, as soon as we get home." Flora promised.

"I can't wait that long! Don't you get it Flora? My uncle, my grandparents… my own dad!" I told her, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice, "We have a way of knowing where they are! I can't just sit here, can I?"

"Kaity," Flora told me seriously, "We are in the middle of a school!"

"Who cares?" I told her, laughing. I ran out from the bushes, and back to where Jackson and Henry were.

"What's going on?" they both asked. I simply laughed.

"Don't worry about it!" I told them cheerfully, "But Flora and I need to go. We'll see you tomorrow, alright?" Both of them nodded a little uncertainly. I gave Henry a quick kiss.

"See you!" I called, running toward the school gate.

"Kaity! Wait!" Flora called. I didn't stop running.

* * *

I reached the Professor's house quickly. I'd never ran so fast in my life. Flora was still long behind me.

"Professor!" I yelled, running into the living room. He was there, looking through some documents. He looked up at me in surprise.

"Kaity?" he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Professor! I know where to find him! My uncle!" I quickly explained everything. I'm not sure whether or not he understood me, but he seemed to follow on ok. When I finished, he smiled.

"That's wonderful news. But I already know where to find him." he informed me. I was confused.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He showed me the papers in his hand.

"Look at these." he said, "As it turns out, George Fisher, your grandfather, graduated from Gressenheller University some years ago. I stumbled upon his files today."

"That is great! Now all we have to do is go to my where my uncle lives and-" I began.

"Wait just a minute, Kaity." He interrupted. I looked at him, confused. "I already have a theory as to why Sarah wants to marry your uncle. Maybe the trip won't be necessary." I felt a little annoyed inside, but I didn't want to come across as rude. I nodded

"Go on." I told him. He looked through the files for a few more seconds before looking back at me intently.

"I must confirm a few things first." he told me, "When exactly did your grandfather die?"

"Around 2005, five years ago in my time." I replied. He nodded.

"Look here." He told me, "Your grandfather graduated as a doctor, am I right?" I nodded, "Well, according to these files, he kept on going up the ranks, thus causing him to earn a very large income. A lot more than most people would have earned."

"How much?" I asked. How come nobody told me about this?

"Around 200,000 pounds per year." he replied.

"Woah…" I said, stunned.

"Now, your grandmother was also working at the time, correct?She too, graduated from Gressenheller. She didn't earn as much as him, but still a fair amount. This together added up to a tremendous fortune over the years."

"Go on…" I said, thinking it over.

"Well, they moved to the country, probably because they didn't want to make a fuss of being rich and all. They kept the money a secret, even from their children, your uncle and father. But when they died, five years ago in your time, they left everything to your uncle. This, of course, made him extremely rich."

"He never told me." I said, feeling a bit hurt. Didn't he trust me?

"I think he had the same intention as your grandparents," Professor Layton explained, "not wanting to make a big fuss over it, or letting it get to his head. My guess is that he put it away in the bank and continued his life as per-normal."

"So how did Sarah find out do you think?" I asked. Then it all clicked. "Oh! She used to work at a bank! She must have found files saying how much was in his account!"

"I see you're putting all the pieces together!" he told me, "Good job. I think that she married your uncle, only for the money. Perhaps she knew that it wouldn't look as suspicious if the media didn't know about it, plus the fact that your uncle… well he wasn't exactly young, was he?" I shook my head, a cold rush going through me. Could he mean...?

"You mean to say that… she might kill my uncle? Just so she would inherit everything?" I asked in shock. He nodded slowly.

"It is a possibility. However, we can't draw conclusions just yet." He told me. I was silent. Something was nagging at the back of my mind… I remembered what it was, and sadness washed over me.

"These means I'm leaving, doesn't it?" I whispered, "The voice… it told me I would leave once I found out why Sarah wanted to marry my uncle. And I now know." The Professor opened his mouth to say something, but I never heard what it was.

* * *

All around me, it was darkness. I couldn't see, hear or feel anything. My body felt completely disconnected.

And suddenly, everything wasn't so bad. I felt my body being returned to me. I sat up, thinking that maybe I would be at the Professor's house. But I wasn't. I still couldn't see anything. It was pitch black, I wasn't even sure if there was a floor beneath my feet. I looked around and I noticed something behind me. It was a small light. It didn't illuminate anything else, it was just there.

_Well, you've found out what you wanted to know. _The voice told me, it was coming from the light. It was becoming more and more defined in sound. It was a woman's voice, the kind that automatically makes you feel safe. A kind of loving voice.

"Please, don't let me go!" I begged, "Not yet. There's so much I haven't completed!"

_You must return to your own time, that's the way things have to be._

"No, please no! If I go back, nothing would have changed. My uncle would still be married to Sarah, and who knows what she'll do! Please, I can't." I felt tears roll down my cheeks.

_You must return at some point. It's better sooner than later, while you haven't gotten yourself in too deep._ The voice warned me.

"I know." I told the voice, "But I can't leave yet. Please, just a little while longer." I crossed my fingers and held my breath as I waited for an answer.

_I suppose… just this once, I will make an allowance. _The voice told me. Relief flooded through me.

"Thank you." I told the voice.

_It will come at a price, though._ The voice warned.

"What?" I asked, almost afraid.

_Up until now I've made it so your actions wouldn't disrupt the future, unless you wanted them to. For instance, you wanted to save St Mystere, therefore, you've done it. But I can no longer do that. From now on, until you want to return to your time, you have lost all connections with me. You cannot talk to me, nor will I reply. You must be very, very cautious. Otherwise, you yourself may not be born as a result of meddling things in this time. _All of this made me very uneasy. Was it worth the risk?

I decided it was.

"I understand." I told the voice.

_Then goodbye, Kaity. I will speak with you when you wish to return._ All of a sudden I felt the darkness surround me again. The light faded slowly, and I felt my body disconnect from me again. I was barely awake through the whole thing. It took me a while to realize that my eyes were open and that I was staring up at Flora's frightened face.

"Kaity? Kaity are you ok?" she asked frantically. I nodded slowly. I tried to sit up, but I felt sick. I looked at the Professor, who had come back into the room with a blanket.

"What happened?" I asked him weakly.

"You all of a sudden froze." he explained, "Your vision and hearing just seemed to… stop." He told me, "Then, you collapsed, just as Flora walked through the door. Are you feeling alright?" I shook my head, but it made me feel even worse.

"I feel awful!" I told them, somewhat upright. Flora giggled.

"I would expect nothing less. You were passed out for a good twenty minutes, you know." she informed me.

"Really?" I asked, "It only felt like a few to me."

"What exactly did happen?" Flora asked me. I explained what the voice had told me, how I had been given another chance to stay here. I didn't go into a great length of detail, though. I just wanted to sleep.

"The thought of leaving… it was unbearable." I said, "It hurt more than you could imagine." I felt sad just thinking about it.

"Well, you'd best go up into Flora's room for now." The Professor told me, "You're as pale as a sheet and you look very tired." I nodded, trying to stand up. It didn't work, I felt even worse. I felt my arms shake as I tried to support all of my weight. I collapsed and I closed my eyes. I almost fell asleep again, until I felt somebody pick me up. I felt myself being rested on a comfortable bed.

"Thanks Luke." I told him my thoughts in a mess. The Professor chuckled.

"No problem." he replied, "That's what a gentleman does."

* * *

**Hope you liked the chapter. Does anybody know who the voice is yet? At least guess and tell me, I'm interested to know what you think. And no, it's not Sophia. That would be a copy from another fanfic called 'Love in a Game'. Highly suggest you all check it out, it's awesome. Much better than mine :P Anyway, please at least guess, I'm interested to know. Personally, I think I've made it WAY to obvious. The clues are all there...**

**Critical thinking is the guy to success, right? ;)**


	15. The Card Tower

**Hey guys,**

**So I'm back! I completed my novel for NaNoWriMo (it's called Spiritless) and now I have more time for fanfiction! Booyah!**

**I've learnt a lot from writing Spiritless, mainly that I really need to be more descriptive in my writing. A story isn't much fun if it just has the plot and no description. While proof reading one of the chapters that I had pre-written for this story right before uploading it, I felt sick at just how bland it was. I also need to stop judging myself so harshly; I realized one night while reading Harry Potter that I began comparing myself to JK Rowling… not a good idea. It just screws with your self-esteem.**

**Anyhow, enough rambling from me. In short, except better chapters faster from me in the future :)**** And thank you too all my awesome readers who have reviewed, you guys rock. And even if you didn't review, you're still pretty cool.**

**OK! HERE'S THE CHAPTER :D**

* * *

I woke up, my thoughts all jumbled. I groaned and held on to my head; it was throbbing painfully. Almost immediately a cold cloth was placed over it, quickly easing the pain. I smiled and went back into my dreamlike state. But my eyes snapped open when many unanswered questions rushed into my head, not helping the headache at all.

Who had put the cloth on my head? How did they know that I needed it in the first place? Why were they in Flora's room? I sat up quickly, looking around me. The room was dimly lit, but I could still see the outline of an unbelievably tall man. I was confused, until I realized that he looked so tall because of the top hat sitting on his head. I sighed in relief and he put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright, my dear?" Professor Layton asked.

"Yes." I told him, smiling "But this headache is annoying!" He chuckled.

"I thought you might have one after being asleep for as long as you were." He said, "A few glasses of water and you'll be back to normal." He then looked at me more seriously. "Do you remember anything from yesterday?" I paused before answering, knowing there was something about it that was nagging in the back of my mind. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I always found this tactic worked well when trying to remember things in the middle of tests. I just hoped it would work this time.

I remembered some things, like finding out that Mary, the same Mary I'd been friends with at school, mind you, knew where my uncle lived. I smiled at the memory, and decided to continue from there.

I remembered running home to the professor, and being slightly disappointed. I frowned at that memory, what had happened next? Oh right! The professor had totally crushed my good mood by explaining everything, thus making me pass out. The voice.

I gasped and opened my eyes. The voice…

I had been given another chance. A chance to fix things in this time.

But it had come at a price. I could severely change the future… even making one small movement could result in me not being born. The professor knew what I was thinking. He looked at me with pity in his eyes.

"I… I could stuff everything up, couldn't I?" I whispered. He didn't quite meet my gaze as he nodded. We both stayed in silence for a while, there was a lot on both our minds.

"Kaity, you could still return to the future." He said eventually. His voice was barely a whisper, and there was a sense of urgency to it. "If you do it now, you'll definitely return."

I had to admit, the thought was tempting. Oh so tempting. But I couldn't, not yet. I shook my head sadly.

"I can't go." I told him firmly, "My uncle's life depends on me being here. And if that means that…" I trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. Professor Layton didn't reply. We stayed in silence for quite a while, but it was me who broke it.

"Where's Flora?" I asked, looking around. The professor looked up, glad for a change in topic.

"At school." He replied.

"Really? What's the time?"

"Somewhere around eleven." I calculated this in my head. I had arrived home at around 2:30 yesterday, plus thirty minutes of being passed out and the Professor explaining things to me…

I had been sleeping for around twenty and a half hours. That must have been a record.

"You were exhausted. I couldn't have waken you, even if I had of tried." He explained. I smiled, it sounded like me. I had slept solidly, and surprisingly, no nightmares woke me up.

* * *

I was eating my pancakes, choking them down with some difficultly. I guessed that Flora had made them, as they were full of eggshells and clumps of flour. My headache still hadn't subsided, in fact it was getting even worse. The Professor sat next to me and poured me a cup of tea. I gulped it down thankfully, trying to wash the taste of the food out. His mouth twitched slightly.

"Enjoying the pancakes?" he asked. I groaned.

"I'm not sure if enjoying would be the right word." I admitted, "How do you survive her cooking?" I actually wanted to know the answer that that question.

"Flora tried her best, and a gentleman must never upset a lady, no matter what he really thinks." He explained. He held up a piece of toast, almost showing it off, before taking a bite out of it. I pouted.

"Why didn't I think of that?" I wondered aloud, looking at the toast with envy. He chuckled.

"Would you like a piece?" he offered. I shook my head.

"To be honest, I'm not too hungry." I told him. I wasn't sure if it was the pancakes or the fact that I might not be born that was making my stomach churn. He nodded understandably.

"Yes. I'm a little startled by the turn of events myself." He admitted. I nodded, taking another feeble bite out of the pancake. This one didn't have any eggshells in it, so it was reasonably ok. But I wasn't really concentrating on the food anyway, my mind was still trying to think of a way to save Sam.

How could I, though? Sarah wasn't even alive in this time, it wasn't like I could just go and kill her. Not that I would do that anyway, that would be a little extreme. But either way the whole situation sucked. How could I get Sarah away from Sam?

I thought of all the reasons why Sarah wanted to be with Sam in the first place. There was the money aspect of course, and the fact that it was low key. He was also pretty old, so it would be easier for her to go through with her plans without him suspecting anything. Then there's the fact that he wasn't married, either.

Married…

_Married._

"Married!" I burst out, causing the Professor to look at me in surprise. I laughed in happiness. "I know how to help Sam!" I informed him. He looked intrigued (not to mention slightly berwilded).

"Let's hear it then!" he told me. I took a deep breath, it was going to sound stupid, I just knew it was.

"Mary and my uncle were friends." I explained, "As in, really close friends."

"So I've heard." The Professor said.

"My uncle even told me one time that he loved her. More than he'd ever loved anybody. But then she moved away." He seemed to consider this for a moment.

"Continue."

"Well… maybe, just maybe, if Mary hadn't of moved, they might have ended up together." I suggested. There was a silence.

"So you think that if we somehow made Mary move back into the countryside, they'd have a chance?" he asked. I nodded.

"If it worked, it would change everything. Sarah would never be able to get to him, and he would be safe." I concluded. I watched the Professor carefully and crossed my fingers, hoping for a good reaction. My heart fell when he lowered his head and shook it slowly.

"No." he told me firmly, "It is too dangerous." Annoyance washed over me. How could he say that? He had no idea about anything that I was going through.

"To heck with dangerous!" I cried out, probably not in a ladylike way, "I can't let him die!"

"I'm not asking you to." The Professor said calmly. I suddenly felt guilty for yelling at him. "All I'm saying is that it would be far too risky. We'll find another way, alright?" I shook my head stubbornly. As amazing as Professor Layton was, this time he was wrong. I needed a way to get through it him.

It seemed the professor was thinking the same thing as me. He sighed. "Follow me." He suggested, "I'll show you something." He lead me into his study. I looked around me, it reminded me too much of home. The Professor was a lot like Sam, in many ways. Always collecting little oddities and telling interesting facts. He coughed and I turned to him. Out of a desk drawer, he took out a pack of playing cards. I watched as he began building something. He built it with ease, and soon it was complete. A full four story card tower. It would have taken me months to build, I was slightly annoyed.

"Let's pretend," he began, "that this is your life."

"Umm… ok." I replied, wondering where he was heading with this.

"Your life had begun building long before you were actually born." He explained, gesturing to the bottom, "As you grew up, you began deciding your future. Slowly but surely, your life was building. Like this card tower. And here you are now." He told me, gesturing to the top two cards. I nodded.

"The decisions you made as you got older would affect the rest of your life," he continued, "For instance, had you gotten on your bike when you were seven and tried to cross the road, you might have been run over. Had that of happened, you would have adjusted your life quite drastically." He moved one of the pieces in the second story, and the rest of the tower (apart from the bottom) fell apart. He rebuilt it, while continuing to talk, "Had that have happened, it would have been the end of your life. You wouldn't have reached the top of the tower like you have now." This sent shivers up my spine, and I knew what was coming next. "Now, the same goes for this bottom story. All it takes it one slight complication, and the whole thing would end. Your life would be over before it even started." He flicked one of the bottom cards, and the whole tower collapsed. This hurt me more than I would have cared to admit.

"Well what do you propose I do, then?" I asked him. He sighed, sitting into a large armchair. He looked up at me with pleading eyes, and I knew what he was going to say.

"Kaity, return to your own time." He told me softly, "It's the best chance you have."

"No it isn't." I snapped, "What do you propose I do if I return?"

"You could contact the police. Explain the situation." He suggested. I laughed dryly.

"That wouldn't work." I told him. He waited for a further explanation, but once it was clear he wouldn't be getting one, he sighed.

"Why not?"

"Because it just wouldn't!" I told him, a little more forcefully then I would have like. He raised an eyebrow.

"Is everything ok, Kaity?" he asked calmly. For a second, I thought about telling him everything. I'd come so close to telling Flora on the night of the sleepover…

"I'm fine." I muttered. I looked back at the pack of cards, and I had a brainwave. "Can you rebuild the tower?" I requested. "Please?" I added hastily. He nodded and stood up, still studying my face. He rebuilt the tower, and I knelt down. Hoping it would work, I slowly slid one of the cards out from the bottom. I held my breath and waited, but the rest of the tower didn't fall. I grinned triumphantly, holding up the card for him to see.

"See?" I asked a little bit of smugness in my voice, "It _is_ possible to change the past without damaging the future." He was silent, and I felt somewhat amazed that I had managed to outwit the great Professor Layton. Slowly, a small smile crossed his face.

"Well," he said, adjusting his hat slightly, "I suppose you were right, then."

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**That's the chapter for you :)**** I hope that I'll be able to get back into the flow of fan fiction soon. I would appreciate it is you would inform me of any spelling/grammer mistakes, I really want to improve my writing in the next few months.**

**And if you're wondering about the thing Kaity hasn't told the Professor or Flora, I haven't really mentioned it before. Well, kind of in the sleepover chapter. But that's beside the point. Just don't go worrying about missing out on some important detail, because you didn't. It's yet to be revealed.**

**Next chapter will be up sooner to make up for all my slow updates lately :)**


	16. Goodbye

**Hey guys :)**** Chapter is up sooner, like I promised. And yes, I know Remi's name has been translated to "Emmy", but I'm sticking with Remi. Just thought I'd make that clear.

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I was sitting on a large, comfortable armchair. The fire was in lit and the room was illuminated with a soft light. I would have felt content, if Flora wasn't sobbing softly in my arms. I felt immense guilt about the whole situation, but I stayed put. I had to do this, for my uncle's sake. She stopped for a moment; the flow of tears halted, and looked at me. Her large, chocolate brown eyes seemed to reach my mind, trying feebly to detect any sign of weakness. I sighed and held her closer.

"It won't work, Flora." I told her. Firmly, but not unkindly. A few more tears leaked out of her eyes.

"Why?" she whispered, "Why, Kaity?" Another wave of guilt rushed over me, but I tried to ignore it.

After a fair bit or debating (that's what the Professor had called it, to me it was just plain arguing) he had finally agreed to take me to my uncle's house. The Professor and I had just told Flora of our plans, Luke was already in bed. We were going to leave to travel to the countryside. We'd pinpointed the exact location of my uncle's house, and we hoped to get there by dawn tomorrow. Our plan once we got there… well… we hadn't exactly figured that part out, yet. We hoped that Mary was still there, so the Professor could try and convince her parents to move back to the country. That way, we'd have a chance.

The downside of the whole story was Flora. The Professor didn't know how long it would take to convince Mary's parents to stay in the countryside, and he was as determined as I was to complete our goal. So he had arranged with Remi to take care of Luke and Flora while we were gone. I sighed again, stroking Flora hair.

"I have to." I told her, "Flora, it's my only chance of saving my uncle and keeping myself alive." More tears followed after I said it. She let out a soft wail.

"I… I don't want you to go!" she admitted, "I'd be lost without you, it's because of you that I have friends. You just can't leave! What about Henry? Today he talked about you a lot, Kaity. He kept on asking me if you were ok. You can't go without saying goodbye to him, either." Flora words hurt me. I knew she didn't intend for the to, but they did.

"I know you don't want to leave. But I have to go leave at some point." I explained, "The voice told me so. But I'll always remember you, Flora, I promise. As for Henry… maybe it's better if I don't say goodbye. It would be too hard for both of us. Besides, I'll see you both in the future." She smiled a little.

"I'll be old, then." She told me, "66. But you'll stay the same." I nodded.

"I know." I murmured. I looked hopelessly at the Professor. He gave a sad smile. Flora looked over at him.

"Why?" she asked, her voice suddenly more annoyed, "Why won't you let me come? You always leave me behind, Professor, because you think I'm useless. But Kaity's my best friend! I can't let her leave without saying goodbye!" By the end of her little speech her voice had raised a considerable amount, almost to the point of shouting. I could tell this wasn't the first time Flora had felt like this. The Professor hesitated before replying.

"Firstly, both you and Luke have school. You have exams coming up, Flora, and education always comes first. I would hate for you to fail because of me." He began. Secondly, you know why I choose to not take you on my travels. It is for your safety, not because I think you're useless. When I decided to become your guardian I promised myself I wouldn't put you in any danger, and I'm hoping to stick to my promise. Besides, it's not just you this time, it's Luke as well. Thirdly, I understand that Kaity is your friend. You have every right to be upset with her leaving. But bear in mind that you'll see her in the future, as she pointed out. It is 'so long', not goodbye." He paused for a moment to check her expression. Flora seemed lost for words, so he continued. "I also have a very bad feeling about this. I feel uneasy enough by letting Kaity go through with this as it is." By the end of it, Flora was looking down, guilty. I had a dreading feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"What do you mean?" I asked, having a feeling that he meant something more than just the plan failing.

"It's probably nothing." He replied, obviously not wanting to continue. He looked at his wristwatch. "If we're going to leave, we'll have to go soon." I nodded and let go of Flora. Professor Layton went upstairs. There was a silence. I looked at Flora. She still seemed hurt by everything.

"Flora, you know why I have to do this." I told her softly. She nodded, but I don't think she understood. "If you were in my position, what would you do?" There was another long silence.

"I would do what you're doing." She admitted. I smiled.

"Then you'll understand why it's so important that I do this." She nodded and stood up. I stood next to her and hugged her, not wanting to let her go. Flora was the best friend I would ever have, I knew that for a fact. I would miss her greatly. We stayed like this for a long time, motionless. But eventually I let go. She had stopped crying and was looking at me, pleading with her eyes. It was working.

"Flora, please." I begged, "Don't make this harder than it already is." She nodded and dropped her gaze. The Professor returned from upstairs, carrying two overnight bags. I heard a knock at the door.

"That'll be Remi." He announced, making his way over. I heard bits and pieces, mostly the Professor apologizing and thanking Remi for coming on such short notice.

"It's fine, Hershel." She told him, a little impatiently, "But you could at least tell me what's going on."

"Flora will explain everything." The Professor told her briskly, "But Kaity and I need to leave now. It's a long drive."

"Of course." Remi said reasonably, "We'll be right here when you get back." Hershel smiled.

"That's good to know. We'd best be off now Kaity." I nodded and took one last look at Flora. She was absolutely crushed, there was no other word for it. There was so much pain in her eyes that I couldn't bear the sight of it. I felt myself beginning to shake as well. I watched as her lower lip quivered; she was at the point of tears once again.

"Well… I'll see you, then." I told her, trying to keep my voice steady. She nodded, and a strained sound escaped her lips. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath before trying to speak again.

"Goodbye." She whispered. I stayed still for a few more moments, unsure what to do next. Eventually, I nodded and joined the Professor by the door. I couldn't bear to look back at Flora. I picked up my overnight bag and we stepped out into the cool night air. We hopped into the Laytonmobile and backed out of the driveway.

I couldn't resist looking back at the house. It had become a home to me in the few months I had lived there. As I watched it move past, I also saw the curtain move aside. Flora's tear stained face looked at me, and behind her I saw Remi. I smiled slightly and gave them a little wave, but inside me I felt a huge hole in my chest. One that didn't seem to go away.

* * *

I dozed on and off during the car trip. Strange dreams filled my mind, mostly about the consequences of failing. I dreamt of Sarah, eyes gleaming as she pushed Sam of a cliff. Other times she shot him. Either way I woke up shaking, trying not to let the Professor see my distress. He seemed as alert as ever, which comforted me. At least we wouldn't crash the car. But halfway through the night, after sleeping for at least an hour, I awoke. It took me a while to remember where I was and what I was doing, but once it came back to me, silent tears flowed down my cheeks. I didn't except the Professor to notice, but he did.

"Are you ok?" he asked me. I sighed and tried to wipe my tears away.

"I'm fine." I mumbled. He looked unconvinced.

"No you're not." He replied, his voice kind. I sighed, he was right.

"I… I just can't stop thinking about Flora." I admitted. He nodded.

"I guessed that was the case. What about her makes you upset?"

"Her face… she seemed so crushed that I was leaving." I whispered, more tears flowing, "And part of me feels guilty for leaving. Will she cope without me?"

"Are the friends you two have made a good bunch of kids?" the Professor asked. I nodded.

"Yes."

"Then I wouldn't worry about it. Flora had made friends because of you, you shouldn't feel guilty. After all, you'll meet her again."

"I hope so." I whispered. I looked out the window at the scenery rushing past. We were slowly getting away from the busy streets of London and into a more open part on the countryside. "How much longer till we're there?"

"I wouldn't begin counting down quite yet, Kaity." He told me softly. I smiled and closed my eyes, letting the darkness once again consume me.

* * *

When I awoke, the car was no longer moving. I felt the soft sunlight on my face and I blinked a few times, confused.

We were parked by the side of the road. For a few moments, I thought that we'd crashed, and in panic began unbuckling my seatbelt, preparing to run for help. But when I saw the Professor snoring quietly beside me, top hat slightly out of place, I realized everything was fine. I silently opened the car door and looked at the scene around me. We were on a dirt track that was surrounded by trees. I smelt the country air and sighed in contentment.

We'd reached the countryside and soon I would see my uncle again. The thought made me jump in excitement, because not only would I see my uncle, but I would also see my _dad._ And maybe my mum! Not to mention my grandparents. Heck, I would see everybody! This thought almost made me forget about Flora's sullen face the day before…

Almost, but not quite.

I heard my stomach rumble and realized just how hungry I was, I hoped the Professor had packed food. I looked in the overnight bags, there was nothing. I checked in the backseat, there was still nothing. I frowned, the Professor wouldn't have forgotten to pack anything, would he? I thought about waking him, but that would be selfish. He had a long night last night, he needed rest.

He could have put it in the boot. I took the Professor's keys out of the ignition and opened the it. What awaited me almost made my heart stop beating.

Lying in the boot was a young boy, all dressed in blue and sleeping peaceful. Next to him was a bag of food. I saw a packet of biscuits that was already opened, alongside with a lot of crumbs.

"Luke!" I burst out in surprise. His head shot up in alarm.

"Wha?" he asked in a confused voice. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was. He looked at me and smiled. "Oh, hi Kaity." He said in a somewhat embarassed voice. Well, I would be if somebody had caught me sleeping in the boot of the car.

"Luke! What on earth are you doing here?" I asked him. He looked guilty.

"Well… I didn't want to be left behind. I'm the Professor's number one apprentice, after all!" he explained, "Besides, it sounds like an adventure!" I sighed.

"Do Remi and Flora know you're here?" I asked.

"Umm… sort of." He mumbled. I laughed.

"We'll give them a call when we get to my uncles house. In the meantime, we'll just have to wait until the Professor wakes up. Are you hungry?" Luke looked guiltily at the bag.

"Yes." He admitted, "I'm in the middle of a growth spurt, I need lots of food." I smiled. In the months I had seen Luke he hadn't grown at all. We took out the bag and ate an apple each. Luke cast a glance at the Professor. "When will he be awake?" he asked. I shrugged.

"No idea. But it's important we let him get the rest he needs, he's been driving all night." Luke nodded. A bird flew overhead, and he jumped up in excitement.

"Have I shown you my talent?" he asked me excitedly. I shook my head. He looked up at the bird and began talking. Not in a childlike voice, like most people do when talking to animals. But in his normal voice, like he would use to talk to a human.

"Hello, bird. Do you have a name?" Luke asked clearly. The bird landed on a nearby branch and tilted its head. Then it responded in high pitch tweets. Luke grinned.

"He says its name is Tweety." He explained, "And that he likes to eat biscuits." I was gob smaked.

"Luke… you can talk to animals?" I whispered. He nodded. Testing to see if he was telling the truth, I took a biscuit out of the packet and held it out in my hand. Tweety looked at me, almost judging whether or not I was ok, before swooping down and taking the biscuit. My bewildered expression soon turned into one of pure amazement.

"Fantastic, isn't it?" Luke said, smiling. I was about to reply when in the distance, I head a low rumbling sound.

"What could that be?" I murmured. I looked up just in time to see a plane pass overhead. I wouldn't have given it a second thought, hadn't it turned around and began its descent.

"Why are they coming here?" Luke asked me. I shrugged.

"How should I know!" I snapped, more worried about something else. "They can't just land a plane here! What are they thinking?"

They did land the plane, regardless. I watched in confusion as the pilot hopped out. She looked strangely familiar….

"Remi?" I called out. She turned around and waved like there was nothing wrong. I watched as she helped somebody else out of the plane. Relief filled me when I saw who it was.

"Kaity!" she yelled, sprinting over to me. I grinned and pulled her into a huge hug, laughing.

What would the Professor say when he woke up?

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**And that was the chapter :)**** Thanks for reading, and please inform me of any grammar/spelling mistakes if you see them.**


	17. My Family

**Hey guys, sorry for the slow update. The good news is that I am now off school so hopefully updates will be faster and I will finish this story within the next few weeks.**

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The Professor had not awoken from the noise of the plane landing. I wasn't sure if this made the situation easier or harder. I was almost afraid of his reaction.

Remi, Flora, Luke and I all sat on the grass and talked.

"Flora explained everything to me, and I was shocked that the Professor would leave her behind." Remi told me, "Part of me wanted to go after him and let him take her as well, but I knew I had a responsibility. Then we woke up today and found Luke's bed empty. We knew immediately he would have found a way to tail you, so we decided there was no point staying in London." I smiled, it was clear that Remi and Professor Layton had disagreements on certain subjects. This was one of them.

"I'm so glad you're here." I said, grinning at them all. "It'll make everything so much easier." By everything I meant me leaving, but I didn't want to bring up the subject. Remembering Flora's pained face the night before was enough to stop me.

"We're going to help you." Flora told me firmly, "Whether the Professor likes it or not."

"Well, my dear," a new voice from behind us said, "I had rather hoped that Remi may have been able to talk you out of that but clearly she's on the same side as you. The fact that Luke snuck away didn't help the situation, either." There was a silence as we all turned and looked at the Professor, wondering what to say. Remi and Luke looked guilty. Flora looked protective, almost fierce. Me? I felt tied in the middle of it all.

Professor Layton, on the other hand, looked entirely calm. Although there was a great deal of seriousness in his voice, there was no anger. He looked at us all patiently, waiting for a response. Eventually, Remi spoke up.

"Luke had left, Hershel." She told him reasonably, "What were we supposed to do?"

"You should have contacted me as soon as you realized he was missing." The Professor replied, "That way you could have confirmed whether or not he was with us. After that I would have sent him back on a train to London." Luke's face fell slightly, knowing this piece of information, "Furthermore, there are specific reasons why I wanted you all the stay in London-"

"Like what?" Remi snapped angrily, "All I got was a phone call from you asking if I could take care of the kids! You didn't say why or for how long, and when Flora explained it all to me I was appalled that you would do such a thing. Really, Hershel, what good would it do to-"

"Remi!" the Professor interrupted loudly, making us jump. He took in a deep breath, adjusting his top hat. "As I was saying, there are reasons why I didn't want you to come."

"Like?" Flora challenged. I felt almost embarrassed for being in the middle of all this.

"Like for Kaity's sake." He answered, casting a side glance at me. Remi, Luke and Flora all turned to me, as if they were waiting for an explanation. It was Luke who spoke first.

"What does he mean, 'for your sake'?" he asked. I shook my head and shrugged.

"I honestly don't know." I admitted. Professor Layton sighed.

"I was hoping that having less people around you would make leaving easier for when you leave." He explained, "A clean break, if you will. But that isn't the only reason. I have a very uneasy feeling about Kaity being her herself, let alone with the rest of you."

"What do you mean by 'uneasy feeling'?" Flora asked, a tiny hint of remorse in her voice.

"Intuition, my dear." He replied, "I just have this feeling… that something will go terribly wrong while we're here. That's the main reason why I didn't want any of us coming." There was a long and deafening silence, in which I saw Flora's gaze soften and Remi look down in an embarrassed sort of way. Luke just looked up at the Professor expectantly.

"Hershel…" Remi began, "I'm… I'm so sorry. You're right, I shouldn't have come out here. I should have trusted your judgment, after all, you've never been wrong before." The Professor smiled.

"Thank you for the apology, Remi, but I've made some mistakes too." He admitted, "I should have explained everything to you, Flora, Luke and Kaity before departing and heard your view on the subject. That was my fault, and I'm sorry." Remi smiled slightly.

"No, really, Hershel. You trusted me with Luke and Flora and I completely blew that trust." Remi told him guiltily, "I am really sorry." The Professor nodded.

"It's fine Remi, I promise."

"Professor, I'm sorry too." Luke muttered, "It's a duty of every gentleman to do as he's told. I completely disobeyed you and made Miss Remi-"

"Just Remi, please Luke." Remi interrupted, smiling. Luke blushed.

"I made _Remi_ come after me," he continued, "and that wasn't right as she had responsibilities for both me and Flora. I just didn't want to be left out of another adventure, I guess. It was selfish of me. I've been awful, Professor, and I'm truly sorry." Professor Layton smiled.

"I accept your apology, Luke. Thank you. A true gentleman always admits his faults when he knows he is wrong." I smiled, admiring the Professor's ability to keep so calm about everything, and, at the same time, pull everything back together. If it was me I would be having a full-out spaz. I watched as Flora bit her lower lip and looked at the Professor. I wondered what she'd say. Eventually, she spoke.

"Professor, I'm sorry too." She said, "For encouraging Luke to sneak into the trunk of your car so Remi and I would have to find him." I cast a side look at Luke, who put his head in his hands, embarrassed. I also looked at Remi, she had a look of shock on her face that clearly indicated that she didn't know about this. I had to resist the urge to laugh, "I understand why you did it. Why you wanted to leave quickly to help everybody. But Kaity and I are friends. Best friends. And I'm not leaving her, especially if there's danger." Flora's voice sounded so forceful that even the Professor looked shocked for a few moment. I felt a warm feeling inside of me, one that made me feel happy. Flora truly cared about me. The Professor's expression went back to normal and he merely nodded.

"I see." He murmured, closing his eyes for a split second. It was clear that he was in deep thought. We were all silent, and I suddenly felt worried.

What if he didn't let Luke, Flora and Remi stay here with us? What if he told Remi to take them back to London? She would do as he said, she already felt guilty enough for bringing Flora here. I looked at his expression, trying to figure out what was going on in his mind. He opened his eyes and chuckled slightly. I wondered what was so funny, until I realized at everybody else was looking at the Professor with the same expression I had.

"You can all stay." He announced finally. Flora gave a little squeal of excitement and Luke jumped in the air, letting out a 'woop!' as he did. Remi merely smiled, like me. "On one condition." He added. We all stayed silent and waited to hear what he would say, "You must all do as I say." He warned, "This is crucial to Kaity's best chance of getting back to her time. If I tell you to hide, you hide. If I tell you to run, you run. It is most important that we try to interfere with Kaity's father's life as little as possible, alright?" We all nodded, and he smiled slightly. "We may be able to find a use for you all soon. Now, we head over to your uncle's house, Kaity. Let's see if Mary is still there." I smiled, crossing my fingers. I hoped she still was. If not… well… I didn't really want to think about that. We all piled into the Laytonmobile and began driving deeper and deeper into the countryside.

* * *

I looked out the window and watched the fields rush past. I saw cows and sheep in paddocks, eating the fresh, green grass. Luke looked at them in excitement.

"Professor! On our way back can we stop by one of these paddocks and talk to the cows?"

"Maybe, my boy, maybe. We'll see what happens first." The Professor told him. I smiled, getting more and more excited as we drove on.

Soon, I would see everybody again. Nothing could spoil my good mood.

Except what actually happened.

I watched in confusion as the car slowly rolled to a stop.

"What's going on?" Luke asked, "We're not there yet, are we?"

"No, we're not." The Professor agreed, "But it appears we're out of petrol." My heart sank faster than a rock in a pond.

"You've got to be kidding me." I said, leaning back in my chair and putting my hands over my eyes. This couldn't be happening.

"It's alright, Kaity." Flora assured me, "We'll just have to wait until another car passes and ask them if they could fetch us some fuel." I nodded, trying to put away the sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.

We waited outside the Laytonmobile for ages. Slowly the time passed. First ten minutes, then twenty. Then half an hour and an hour. And the whole time not one car passed us. I grew impatient, tapping my foot on the ground. Soon I couldn't bear it any longer.

"I'm going." I informed the others, walking away from the car. I heard footsteps behind me, but I never looked back to see who it was that was following me. I just kept on walking, knowing that sooner or later I would find the house.

* * *

It was like my feet had a mind of their own. I felt myself being drawn towards this one place, just over a small slope. I didn't know exactly how I would get there, only that I would get there eventually.

And eventually was good enough for me.

I began making my way up the slope as fast as I could, not wanting to wait any longer to see them. Slowly, the top came into view, and I was almost there. I finally reached my goal. Pulling myself up, I looked down at the house below me.

It was huge, much bigger than my uncle's house in my time. It was very spacious and the backyard was humongous. As I looked around I saw two little boys playing in there.

One looked about thirteen. He had messy brown hair and he wore a neat green shirt. He was carrying around a much younger boy. The younger boy looked about four or five years old, and laughed as his older brother gave him a piggy back. I smiled, realizing who they were. Eventually I was aware of somebody behind me. I knew they were going to speak, so I put my hand up to silence them. I just wanted to watch, without anybody asking any questions. I watched as two adults walked out of the house and called for the children to come in for dinner. I waited until the whole family was inside before lowering my hand, allowing the person to speak.

"Kaity?" Flora asked me, "Who were they?" I turned to her, and I was hardly surprised when a tear dropped from my face.

"That," I announced proudly, "was my family."

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**Sorry, not my best piece of work, I wrote it while I was really tired. As usual, please notify me of any spelling/grammar mistake so I can fix them :)**** Thanks for reading!**


	18. Falling

It took everybody else a little longer to reach the top of the slope than it took Flora (apparently Luke had fallen down a few times and Remi and Hershel had to help him up), but they got there eventually. They said nothing as I looked down at the house. Out the corner of my eye I could see the sun setting in the distance, giving the sky a warm glow to it. Through the window, I could see three children in there.

The tall, messy brown-haired boy was Sam, I knew that for sure. The resemblance to him in my time and the child now was uncanny; I could see a lot of the future Sam in his eyes.

The second child, the smaller one, was my father, I was sure of it. He was only very young, but I could easily tell it was him. Peter Fisher, his name was now. Not dad.

The third was none other than Mary. I could see her inside the house, laughing with Sam and occasionally holding his hand. It made me feel warm inside.

"She's still here." I whispered. I felt all eyes on my back as I said it.

"Mary?" Flora asked, leaning closer to the edge.

"Yes."

"Can you see any sign of her parents?" Remi asked. I shook my head.

"No. I only see my grandparents, dad, uncle and Mary." I replied, smiling. Seeing them all made me feel somewhat peaceful. I leaned closer to the edge, wanting to get a better view of them.

The events that followed were a blur.

I felt myself slipping, and Flora yelled out my name. I felt the air rush past me as I fell. I squeezed my eyes shut; trying not to meet the terrible pain that would await me once I landed. I did regardless.

I landed on my back, my head hitting the edge of a nearby rock. I gasped in pain, the world around me spinning. I tried to call out for somebody to help, but I just couldn't. No part of me seemed to work.

_Careful…_ the voice told me. That's all remembered. Well, almost.

I vaguely recalled the hurried footsteps and panicked voices around me. None of which I recognized.

* * *

Strange thoughts kept on swirling around my mind, mostly painful memories which I had no desire to recall. The pain was unbearable, I thought that I would at least have broken something. The biggest question in my mind was where exactly was I? The room seemed unfamiliar, I could tell that without opening my eyes.

"She awake yet?" A gruff voice asked.

"Not yet." A softer voice replied, "Poor thing. I wonder how she fell? And why would she be alone?"

Even if I didn't understand what the voices were saying, that wasn't the strangest part. The strangest part was that I recognized the voices… in a way. They seemed familiar.

A spasm of pain rocked through my body when I felt the cushion supporting my back being moved slightly. I let out a gasp of pain and opened my eyes. A kind face was above mine, one that I knew well.

"Nan?" I asked in a weak voice. She laughed.

"I don't look that old, do I love?" she replied cheerfully, "How are you feeling? You took quite the fall, you know."

"My… my back." I mumbled before losing consciousness again.

* * *

When I awoke (for good, this time), I found myself under close watch of a young girl, perhaps a year or so younger than myself. She had light brown hair and she had a look of genuine concern on her face.

"Are you awake, Kaity?" she whispered. I nodded, and then froze.

Where was I? Why was Mary here? How did she know my name?

The last one was a stupid question; of course Mary knew my name. We'd been going to the same school for over a month, after all. Mary looked at me kindly, not expecting me to say anything. I tried to sit up, by my back seemed too heavy. The slightest movement resulted in another spasm of pain, which wasn't very comforting. I gasped, coughing heavily. I closed my eyes, trying to stay still. I felt something cool being pressed into the palm of my hand. My eyes fluttered open and I studied it for a second. It was a glass of water.

"Drink it." Mary insisted, "It'll help, trust me." I nodded lightly and had a small sip. I could feel the cool liquid travel down my throat, refreshing me. I sighed and Mary took the glass out of my hands.

"Thanks." I croaked weakly. She smiled, and then looked at me in interest. I knew which questions would come next, and panic washed over me. I had no idea what answers I should give her.

"How did you get here?" she asked me, "_Why_ are you here?" I stayed silent for a moment, decided that the best course of action would be to ignore her question.

"Have you seen the Professor?" I asked. She looked confused.

"Who?"

"Professor Layton." I replied, "He wears this really tall top hat. He's Flora's guardian." Mary shook her head.

"No, I haven't seen anybody like him." She replied, "I would have remembered if I did."

"Darn…" I muttered under my breath. Where was the Professor? Why hadn't he come to the house and helped them take care of me? After all, that's what a gentleman did, right? "He brought me and Flora down here for a break." I lied. Mary nodded. "I'm not sure where he went, though. All I remember is falling…" Mary's face lit up.

"Flora's here?" she asked me. I nodded, smiling.

"Somewhere, yes." I replied. I sighed, knowing that I would have to find them, wherever they were. I tried one last time to get up.

The pain this time was worse than all the other ones. It didn't just penetrate my spine, it went through my whole body, making me yelp out.

Terrible, terrible memories filled my mind. I tried to block them out, but I couldn't. They kept on swirling around, making me forget everything thing else. A cool, harsh voice whispered to me.

'_Why bother?_' his voice asked me, '_Why do you fight when you have nothing to live for?'_

"Kaity?" a nicer voice asked me urgently, "Can you hear me?" I opened my eyes, trembling. Mary had pulled me out of my trance. I took a few deep breaths before slumping back into the couch. Mary looked at me, tensed, as if she were waiting for me to suddenly pass out. After a few moments, she relaxed.

"Just try to stay still, ok? Mr Fisher looked at your back earlier and he said you shouldn't move around too much. I'll ask Mrs Fisher to bring you in some dinner, and after that we'll see if we can find Flora and the Professor for you." Her voice was calm and steady; it reminded me of the Professor's in a way. She looked out the window anxiously, "It's getting dark out." I felt my heart sink.

Where was the Professor?

Mary left the room, leaving me to think about the painful memories that I had just experienced.

It wasn't like I had wanted to remember them. I just had. But why were they coming back to me now? Was it the pain that had triggered there reappearance? Or something else?

Thinking about it all made me uneasy. I could feel my heart rate quicken and my hands tremble as I even _thought _about thinking about them. I put my fingers on both sides of my temple in an attempt to calm myself down. It worked, and soon I stopped shaking.

I couldn't let this distract me from my task. Not now.

Mary came back in, following by Mrs Fisher (aka, my grandmother), who was carrying a tray. What was on the tray made my mouth water.

She had made my favorite dish (in the future that is). A huge slice of lasagna sat on the plate. Next to it was a piece of lemon meringue pie. She smiled at my reaction.

"Hungry, are you?" she asked. I nodded.

"Who wouldn't be with this to eat?" I replied, "It's my favorite!" She chuckled.

"Well isn't that lucky! Now, George has just left to check some of the local inns. Hopeful we'll be able to find Mr… Layton, was it?" I nodded while chewing on the lasagna. It was delicious. "Now, after George is back, he'll be able to take a better look at your back. Or tomorrow, if you're too tired. It's hurting quite a bit, isn't it dear?" I swallowed the food in my mouth before replying.

"Yes. I can't move it without any pain." I told her. She looked at me in pity.

"That would be terrible." Mary told me. I smiled.

"Tell me about it."

"Hopefully he'll be able to fix what's wrong. He's a doctor, you know." She told me proudly. I smiled, pretending to act surprised.

"Really? That's lucky for me. I must have fallen next to the right house." Mrs Fisher smiled slightly, but looked at me in confusion.

"How did you fall, anyway?" she asked.

"I was exploring the area." I lied, "And the slope looked exciting to climb." She shook her head, letting out a loud sigh.

"The youth of today!" she exclaimed, "Who knows what they'll do next?" Mary grinned.

"Kaity, I have to introduce you to some people, don't I?" she said, excited. She stood up and opened a door. "She's awake!" she called. I heard hurried footsteps and the two boys I had seen earlier came in.

"So this is the girl who fell off that slope, then?" Sam asked, grinning. I smiled feebly.

"The very same." I announced.

"This is Sam." Mary told me, taking his hand. I couldn't stop the smile from sweeping over my face. The way Sam looked at Mary showed that he was very much in love with her, like he had told me. Maybe the plan had a chance of working after all.

"This is my little brother, Peter." Sam told me, picking up the four year old, which had erupted into a giggling fit.

It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that that was my father. The little child, with drool on his chin and laughing uncontrollably, was my dad. My _dad._ It was too confusing and weird for me to think about.

The weirdest part was knowing that in roughly forty years, he would be dead.

I saw Mrs Fisher pop her head around the corner.

"George's home." She told me, "And I think he found Mr Layton." My heart leapt into the air a million miles. I waiting patiently, and eventually the Professor came in. He smiled at me lightly.

"How are you, Kaity?" he asked me kindly. I smiled weakly.

"I've been better." I admitted. He laughed.

"I can tell. You look tired, dear, it would be best if we all retired for the night, wouldn't you agree? We're booked into an inn a few miles from here." I nodded. He turned to my grandmother and grandfather. "Thank you for looking after her."

"It was no trouble." Mrs Fisher told him, smiling kindly, "As a matter of fact, if you want to, you can bring her back tomorrow, so George can take a better look at her back." Hershel nodded.

"Thank you, so much." I told them gratefully.

"It's quite alright dear. Just get the rest you need and come back tomorrow." George said. I nodded, wondering how I would get out to the Laytonmobile. My answer came to me in a second. The Professor quickly picked me up, carefully so it didn't injure me at all. He took me out to the Laytonmobile and laid me carefully in the passenger seat. I smiled, closing my eyes. I heard the engine start, and the car began moving.

* * *

I don't know how long we'd been travelling for, but eventually a question struck me.

"Professor?" I asked, tired, "Where's Flora?" He didn't reply. I opened one eye. "Professor?"

"Yes, _Kaity?_" he sneered. I was alarmed, not just at what he said. His voice had changed completely, into a nastier one. Realization hit me hard.

"You've got to be joking." I said, opening my other eye and looking over at him. I mentally slaped myself for falling for it once again.

"I can use the same trick over and over," Don Paolo said, pulling off the top hat and mask, "and it will never get old."

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**Dun dun DUN! Don Paolo! :O Oh no!**

**I love cliffhangers :) :) :)**

**Sorry for the long wait, everyone. I'll try to be better next time. Please tell me if you see any incorrect grammar and spelling and other stuff, thanks. I often miss them when proof reading my work.**


	19. Bloody Puzzles

**Sorry for the long wait, everyone. I'll try to be better next time. Please tell me if you see any bad grammar and spelling and other stuff, thanks.**

**I should really take this time to thank all of my awesome reviewers :)**** You guys are my inspiration to continue this poorly written story, so thanks heaps :D

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The silence in the car was deafening.

The sun had set completely, and all around me was dark with the exception of passing a lit house every now and then. I had no way of knowing where we were.

I had chosen to remain silent. This man, Don Paolo, clearly didn't want to strike up any form of conversation, which was good enough for me. I had no desire to let him know how scared I really was, and if I opened my mouth he would hear the quiver in my voice.

But I had so many questions! The biggest on my mind was what he'd done with Hershel, Flora, Remi and Luke. Had he hurt them? Or maybe he'd simply knocked them out and shut them away somewhere. There were even worse idea's coming into my mind, but I tried to shut them out. Eventually, after a good twenty minutes of silence, I decided to speak.

"Where are the others?" I asked him, trying to keep my voice level. He smirked, turning to look at me. I noticed a violent purple bruise on his cheek.

"You'll meet up with them soon enough." He informed me.

"You better not have hurt them." I warned him, slowly getting my confidence back. He snorted.

"Or what?" he asked, sparing me a glance, "You're not exactly in the best position to hurt me, are you? As a matt of fact, only a short amount of time ago I had to _carry_ you out here, so you wouldn't have to injure yourself. I am in the upper court here, _brat._" He spat the last word. I shivered and he looked satisfied.

"Where are we going?" I asked him after another pause.

"Like I said, you'll see soon enough." He replied. It was clear that that was the only answer I would receive. I took this time to study him.

He was the same as ever; dirty, angry and crazy. His breath stank of smoke and he was wearing the same clothes as he had the last two times we'd met. The bruise on his face was different, of course. It looked like it was done recently. But there was also something else to him this time.

He seemed somewhat impatient. I noticed that he kept on speeding up the car. I snorted with laughter.

"If you wanted to get where ever we were going this fast then we might as well have taken a plane." I said. It wasn't meant to be a joke, just a statement. I wasn't really sure why I said it in the first place.

"That would get us there quicker, you're right." Don Paolo admitted, "Luckily I installed an engine." I looked at him in shock.

"You installed a plane engine?" I asked in disbelief. He nodded.

"Just in case I needed it for a quick getaway. Do you want proof?" he asked, hand held above a little red button. I considered it for a moment.

"Not really." I decided. He looked slightly disappointed.

* * *

Soon after we reached a small hill. He slammed down the brakes and the force dragged me forward for a moment. As I slammed back into the seat, I had to bite down on my lip to prevent myself from yelling out in pain. He opened my door and held out a helping hand, a smirk on his face. I glared at him.

"I can manage myself." I told him in an icy voice. He pulled his hand away.

"Suit yourself." He said simply, making his way to toward the hill. I used the top of the Laytonmobile for support and pulled myself up. The pain was terrible, but at least I didn't have to rely on Paolo for support. He looked back at me and gave a twisted smile.

"It's a long climb to the top of the hill," He reminded me, "you might want some help." I pouted, looking at the surrounding houses. There was one, not far off. It wouldn't be too difficult for me to run to one of them, to ask them for help.

He wouldn't have made it that easily, surely. Would he?

"Who says that's where I'm heading?" I tested.

"I do." He answered, "Because it's your only option. But I won't stop you if you decide to leave." I looked him, knowing there was a 'but' involved **(did that sound wrong or what? lol)**. "But your friends are inside. Just thought I should remind you." Remind me that you'll kill me if I don't come, I thought bitterly. I nodded and took my first step. The pain wasn't as bad as I expected, so I tried another one, and another. Soon I was walking. At a slow pace, but I was just happy to be making any progress at all to be honest. As I approached the slope I bit my lip. This would be the trickier part.

I saw an overhanging tree branch and an idea struck me. I reached up carefully and snapped a study stick off it. It was perfect for a walking stick. Placing a fair amount of my weight on it, I began the climb up the grassy hill. A few times I checked Don Paolo's expression. His lips were pressed into a thin line and his arms were crossed. He didn't look pleased. Eventually I reached him. There was a long silence.

"Why are we here?" I asked after a long pause. I began to shiver, the cool air was uninviting if you weren't wearing a jumper (which I wasn't).

"Because this is where your friends are." He replied. I noticed him pulling out a small switch from his pocket. All of a sudden, the ground disappeared. Well, sort of.

I found myself shooting downwards. For a moment I thought I'd fallen, but I looked down and realized that my feet were still on the ground. I closed my eyes, feeling sick. Cool air rushed past, making my brown hair flicker around me. I had no idea what was happening, or when it would end.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually I meekly opened one eye. I was surprised. I expected to see a whole bunch of blurred shapes that were supposedly the inside walls of the hill. Instead I was met with a cold, stone corridor that reminded me of a place I had been before. I hadn't even realized we'd landed. I felt a cold hand on my shoulder and I instantly recoiled. Don Paolo smiled and pushed me forward. I stumbled and he laughed.

"You'll find them in one of those rooms," he told me, waving lazily at them, "I've forgotten which one they're in. I'll be back tomorrow for questioning." I looked at the lift, wondering if I would be able to sneak Remi, Hershel, Luke and Flora on it somehow. He looked at me and laughed again, almost as if he was reading my mind. "I wouldn't stay out here long." He advised, "The force of this lift going up and down is enough to send anything slamming into that wall over there. Might not help your back at all." He said. I looked behind me at the cold, uninviting wall. I shuddered and made my way to one of the doors. I tried the first one. It was locked. I looked up in panic at Paolo before quickly moving on to the next one. And the next. Out the corner of my eye I saw him casually put his hand in his pocket. Soon I had tried all of the doors on one side. I quickly hobbled across to the other side, trying all the doors there. Paolo grinned, clearly enjoying watching me suffer. I bit my lip, trying not to swear. I noticed him slowly take out the little button. I came to the last door. Relief washed over me and I grinned, turning the handle.

Nothing happened.

I tried again, this time applying more force. The door didn't budge. I glared at Don Paolo.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed. He raised an eyebrow and I suddenly had a feeling that I had missed something obvious. I examined the door more carefully, trying to take in every detail I could in the short amount of time that I had.

That's when I saw it.

Inscribed on the side of the door were the numbers one through to nine. There was some sort slot where two numbers were supposed to go. There were also directions, calved into the big metal door as well. I looked at him in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding me." I yelled, once again resisting the urge not to swear, "A bloody puzzle? Right now?" He smiled his sick, twisted smile. His finger got closer to the button. I slammed my fist against the wall in frustration. It hurt, but I didn't care. Anger ran through me.

He'd planned it like this. He wanted to see me struggle, to see me give my hopes up for that split second. Now that I thought of it, they probably weren't even here! He'd lured me here for the soul purpose of seeing me suffer.

My thoughts were interrupted by the faint voice from the other side of the door. I wasn't sure if I had imagined it or not, but I could have sworn it had said something like "_36"_. Hoping it was right, I took the little block with the three on it and put it in the correct slot. I took the second block out, but I accidently dropped it.

Paolo noticed what I was doing, and everything after that seemed to go in slow motion. I quickly picked up the block, ignoring the painful protests of my back, and shoved it in the slot at exactly the same time he pressed the button. I pulled the door open as a loud roaring sound was heard, and I stumbled inside. The door slammed shut behind me with the force of the elevator, leaving me in the darkness.

* * *

I was fairly dazed, unsure where I was. I heard somebody shuffling around, but I wasn't sure whether or not I was hallucinating (I tended to do that sometimes). It was only when I felt a weak hand on my arm that I knew it was real.

"Kaity?" a strained voice asked. It was the same one that had told me the answer to the puzzle.

"Who are you?" I asked. I didn't really recognize the voice at all. It chuckled and a hint of somebody I knew popped up.

"It's me, Professor Layton." He replied, "I thought you could use my help with that puzzle, you didn't seem pleased about revieving it. I could hear your yelling from inside here." I opened my mouth in shock

"Really?" I asked in a mixture of genuine amazement and surprise, "It's you?" The Professor's voice was usually strong, yet calm. This one seemed so… down, as well as tired.

"Do true gentleman lie?" he asked weakly. As my eyes adjusted to the dark I saw the outline of his top hat. It somehow calmed me, knowing this.

"You sound terrible." I commented. He laughed dryly.

"I can tell. But that does tend to happen if you're drugged." I gasped.

"He drugged you?" I asked, unable to hide my disgust.

"I'd imagine so." He replied, "You see, I have a feeling Paolo made you fall off that slope. I think it was all part of his plan to capture us all. As soon as you fell, we were about to rush down. I don't remember anything between then and waking up in here with him telling me how foolish I was to fall into his trap once again." Even though it was dark I could have sworn I saw him smile, "He never tends to try new ideas."

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"Right here." He replied, "I think he accidently gave Luke and Flora too much of the drug, they're still asleep." My heart seemed to stop beating.

"They're not-" I began, but he stopped me.

"They're fine, I assure you. Both are breathing perfectly ok and their heart rate is slower than usual, but that's to be expected. A side effect of the drug, I'd imagine." I sighed in relief.

"What about Remi?" I questioned. He hesitated before replying.

"She's… been better." He answered. Panic struck me.

"Professor, what's happened?" I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer to that one. He sighed.

"It seemed that he didn't use enough of the drug on her." He replied after a few moments of silence, "She woke up as he was putting us all in here. And you know Remi…" I felt a rock in my heart as I registered his words.

Remi would have put up a fight. It obviously wasn't Paolo's intention to hurt any of them… not for now, anyhow. But if she was being too difficult... well, I didn't really want to think about it.

"What happened?" I said, my voice barely a whisper.

"I awoke just as it happened." He told me, his voice quivering slightly, "I saw her kick him on the cheek," So that's how he got the bruise. "And… he threw her against a wall. She was knocked out after that, and she hasn't awoken since." There was a long and painful silence between us. Without uttering a word, I crawled along the wall until I saw the outline of Remi. I ran my hand through her hair, eventually meeting a warm liquid. Blood. I shuddered and put my head in my hands, only one thought swirling in my mind.

How many people would have to suffer on my behalf?

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**Thanks for reading :)**** As per usual I would love it if you pointed out any mistakes I foolishly missed. Also, I have another announcement… Don't worry it's not a bad one.**

**Basically, I hate the title for this story. Seriously, how lame do I want to be? So if you have any ideas for a new one, tell me. If I choose yours, in the last chapter of the story (which will be a nonsense one), you will get to choose a scene, no matter how stupid or random, and I will put it into the chapter and try to make a mildly good storyline out of it. Sound cool? Then start thinking! :D**


	20. Kaity's Past

**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY :D :D :D I know it's only Christmas Eve (where I am, anyway) but I don't want to go on the internet on Christmas day cuz I'll have other stuff to do.**

**Sort of a sad chapter ahead folks… it was kinda hard to write so excuse the poor quality. Most of it's just talking. But hopefully it explains some things.**

**I think it's time for another disclaimer. Disclaimer: I do not own Professor Layton or any or its characters, they belong to level 5. I only really own Kaity and my other OCs for this story.**

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As I continued thinking over everything, how it was my fault that we were all in this mess, Remi began to stir. I looked up and stayed silent. She muttered a few intelligible things before opening her eyes. She looked around for a few moments before letting out a loud groan **(fun fact! I was tempted to write 'fart' in the place of 'groan' lol XD) **I placed my hand on her shoulder and she looked up at me.

"How do you feel?" I asked her quietly. She sighed, trying to sit up. I gently pushed her back down; she was in no state to be doing much. She looked at me in a confused sort of way.

"Pretty…" she started, probably thinking of a word to describe how she felt that wasn't rude, "bad." I smiled. She closed her eyes and murmured something.

"What was that?"

"Since when did it rain?" she asked weakly. I was confused. What on earth was she talking about?"

"Rain?" I repeated. She gave a small nod.

"Yeah." She confirmed in a tired voice, "My face is all wet." I nodded, knowing what was on Remi's face wasn't water.

How quickly had the blood spread?

"Has anybody got a light?" I requested, looking over at the Professor. He didn't reply. I looked back at Remi, who nodded.

"Yes." she muttered weakly, "In my jacket pocket." She looked around for a few more moments before falling out of consciousness. I reached for the pocket and found a box of matches, as well as a candle. Good thing Remi kept useful things with her. I lit the match and put it on the candle. As the room was illuminated with the soft glow, I noticed things I hadn't noticed before.

It was exactly like a prison cell. It had a concrete floor and walls and there was absolutely nothing in it. I saw the sleeping figures of Luke and Flora, as well as the Professor's body, sitting weakly against the wall. I turned back to Remi and gasped in shock.

Remi's face was almost completely covered in blood. The crimson liquid was everywhere, through her hair, her jacket, and it covered a fair amount on ground below her too. I chocked back a sob and dropped the candle. I expected to hear it crash to the ground, but it didn't. I looked down in confusion. The Professor was there, holding the candle in one hand. He put his hand on my shoulder.

"Take a deep breath, Kaity." He advised. I nodded and looked away, taking in big lungfuls of the tasteless air around me. When I was finally calm enough to look back, I realized that the Professor had ripped off part of his shirt and was using it to clean the blood of Remi's face. He tore another piece off and tried it around the wound. There was a long silence between us.

"Thanks." I muttered. He gave a weak smile.

"One must always try to remain calm in hectic situations." He told me, sounding a little more like the Professor I knew. I noticed that I was still shaking, so I sat down. Before I knew it, sobs had erupted through by body. I tried to stop myself; after all, I didn't even know why I was crying. Of course, there were plenty of reasons to cry; like being trapped in a dirty old cell, or having one or your friends bleeding heavily beside you. Although these reasons may have contributed to my sadness, I knew inside that neither were the true reason. The Professor held me in his arms, patiently. I took in a few more deep breaths and slowly the sobbing stopped. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to forget the world I was in. I tried to forget everything. But I just couldn't.

"Kaity?" the Professor asked me in concern. His voice was so kind; it made the situation even worse.

"Yes?" I asked quietly. He let go of me for a few seconds, just so he could look at me properly.

"What's really going on?" he asked. This question caught me off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that, if you don't mind me saying, you're hiding something." He replied, "And I think that you should tell me what it is your hiding. One cannot help another if they are unaware of what's troubling them." The kindness again made the situation even harder. I hesitated, unsure how to continue.

He was right. I was hiding something. And he had a right to know. After all, maybe it would affect him in the long run. I nodded and took in a deep breath.

"This whole situation is my fault." I told him. I knew he would say something.

"I would disagree with that, my dear." He admitted.

"Why?" I asked, shaking my head, "Why would you disagree? It's the truth! I came here and stuffed up your lives. I've gotten you all into this mess! So it _is_ my fault." He thought for a moment.

"Do you remember your first night here?" he said eventually. I nodded. "I found you on that street," he continued, "and knew there was something about you that was different. It was my decision to bring you back to my house and offer it to you as a home. All of that I did because I wanted to, not because I had to." He paused for a moment, "Somehow I knew that you would lead us to something."

"Like danger." I scoffed. He shook his head.

"I wouldn't call it all danger, Kaity." He said, with some disapproval in his voice, "You helped Flora find some friends. You saved St Mystere. And now you have a chance of saving your uncle. There was something stronger than intuition that leaded me to help you on that day."

"But you don't understand!" I protested. He smiled.

"Then help me to, Kaity." He said kindly, "Otherwise I can't help you any further." I looked at him in shock. Had he really just said that? I hung my head, wondering how he would react, knowing everything.

"Look, it's my fault I'm here in the first place!" I blurted out. He looked at me curiously.

"I wouldn't use the word 'fault' in that sentence." He told me, "More like, decision." I shook my head.

"No, you don't understand!" I said, my voice rising, "I'm talking about before the wedding._ Before_ the voice had told me to come here." My voice went quieter towards the end, partly in shame.

What would the Professor think of me, keeping all these secrets from him? He had trusted me; I had abused that trust by a mile.

"Interesting." He said, while looking at Remi. She had become noticeably paler and the cloth that he had tied around her wound had become deep red in colour. It made me feel even guiltier. "Please continue, Kaity. Talking about things does help, you know." I nodded.

"It does." I admitted, "But sometimes it's hard to talk about them." I took a deep breath. This was it. I would tell him everything.

"When I was fifteen, I met a boy called Zach. He went to my school and we became really great friends. Soon after, we began dating." I paused for a second, mustering up the courage to say the next part, "I loved him with all my heart. The pain of losing my parents… it seemed to disappear when I was with him. He… he was Sarah's son." I saw the Professor's face turn into one of shock for a split second. After that he nodded, signaling for me to continue.

"At about six months of us being together he offered to sneak out with me and go to a party. I said yes, partly because I didn't want him to leave me. Zach was always a trouble maker, I disagreed with a lot of things he did. But I did them anyway, partly to impress him. So we snuck out and went to the party. He had promised me it would be safe, and that we knew everybody that was going. But I saw many people who I hadn't met before, and there was alcohol. Halfway through the night, I noticed he was no longer there. I left the party to find him, and I did. He was with one of his friends, vandalizing somebody else's property. I asked him what he was doing, upset. He turned around…" I had to steady myself, trying not to let out the tears that would threaten behind my eyes, "He was drunk, he didn't understand what he was doing. He and his friend began beating me." I couldn't help the tears that were flowing now, but did it matter? Who cared what anybody thought of me anymore.

"I begged him to stop, I really did. But he didn't. The pain... it was unbearable. I screamed for help, but nobody came. His friend thought it would be funny to see how long I could last in the freezing cold lake nearby while they kept on dunking me. In the end I passed out. I don't remember anything from after that, who knows what else they did? But when I woke up, there was even more bruises." I couldn't help the tears that were escaping me now, the memories were so painful.

The Professor took me in his arms, cradling me gently. I stayed silent, trying to clear my mind to continue on.

"When I woke up, the police were there. They knew I had attended the party, because I did have some alcohol in my body still from the night before. They though the cuts and bruises were from sleeping on the rocks, near the lake, I didn't dare tell them about Zach. They took me back to Sam, and he didn't say anything about it until I was all cleaned up. I finally pucked up the courage and told him about what Zach and his friend did. He called them up and spoke to Sarah. She denied it and said that Zach and his friend had a valid alibi, and that it was the alcohol that made me think that. She also said that I was the one who organized the party and sneaking out. The police believed her, because other kids that were at the party had said the same thing. Zach had told them to." I felt a few more tears leak down my face before I continued once more.

"I think you can guess the rest. Sarah sent Zach to a boarding school to keep his distance from me, and then she made her move on my uncle. I had leaded her straight to him." I tensed at the memory, "She must have been planning to get me back by hacking into the bank files and deleting some of my uncle's income. Instead she found out he was filthy rich. It's my fault that she found out, Professor. It's my fault she's going to kill my uncle." He shook his head.

"No, Kaity." He told me kindly, "None of this is your fault. You did nothing wrong." I shook my head.

"The police held it against my criminal record. That's why I couldn't go back when the voice told me to. Nobody would have believed me that Sarah was planning to kill him. Nobody trusts me, except for Sam sometimes. Sarah hates me for almost sending her son to jail. I've lead my uncle to his death. And I'm stuck with memories that I can't erase." There was a long and terrible silence, and I held on to the Professor's coat as I cried. He hugged me gently, and a long but somewhat comfortable silence spread through us.

"It will all be ok." He told me, "You've done nothing wrong, trust me. What Zach and his friend did was disgusting; you didn't deserve any of it."

"I still remember his voice, telling me I was worthless." I murmured, "Every time I get hurt I think of nothing but that night. I'm scarred for life. It's my entire fault, everything. I stuffed up things in my own time and I've stuffed up things here. What's the point in continuing any longer?" I felt him tense and he let go of me. He looked at me firmly.

"Kaity, this will probably sound a little harsh." He warned, "But you should listen; what's done is done. You can't change what happened. Maybe in the future it won't happen because we changed the past, but either way it _has_ happened to you. It's up to you to decide what happens next, alright? You need to stop believing that everything is your fault."

Hershel's words didn't seem harsh to me. They seemed reasonable, fair. I nodded, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

"Professor?" I said.

"Mm?" he replied. I smiled slightly.

"Thank you for making me talk about all this. It's actually helped. But can you promise me something?" He looked at me carefully before nodding. "Please, don't let Flora know about any of this. I trust her with my life, but she thinks that love is perfect. I can't ruin that for her." He nodded, understanding my point.

"I will carry the secret with me to the grave." He vowed seriously. I smiled, letting go of him. I realized just how tired I was. "You should get some rest." He advised, "You will need it." I nodded and tried to find the most comfortable piece of ground I could. I failed, but anything seemed fine to me. I took one last look at Remi.

"She'll be ok, won't she?" I asked the Professor, concerned. He gave a weak smile.

"She should be alright. The bleeding in slowing down, but since I've already had my rest I'll stay up for a while and take care of her." I smiled, and for a moment I believed that everything would be ok in the end. I closed my eyes and let the darkness wash over me.

For once, the nightmares didn't haunt me.

* * *

**I was planning on making more happen in this chapter, but Kaity explaining everything to the Professor took longer than expected. Hopefully I'll fit everything in next chapter :) ****So there, now you know everything that's happened to her. Hope that helps some stuff make sense. Kinda sad though, isn't it... :(**

**I've opened up a DeviantART account for artwork related to my writing. There's a picture of how I imagine Kaity in my mind, if anybody wants to check it out. Link is http: / charcargo. deviantart. com / but don't use any spaces. There's artwork for my other stories as well :)**

**Remember, my little contest for new story title ideas is still running. So submit your suggestions, and remember; there's a prize ;)**

**But for now, MERRY CHRISTMAS and I hope you all have a wonderful time :D**


	21. The Trade

**Did you all have a good Christmas? I did :D Here's the next chapter, enjoy :)**** Sorry for the slow update, I've had this chapter written up for ages, but I was away and I couldn't upload it.**

* * *

When I awoke, it was because of the cold, hard floor beneath me. I still felt tired, but I couldn't get back to sleep. I sighed and sat up, wondering how long it had been since I had explained everything to the Professor.

What did he think of me now? Would he treat me differently, thinking that he would need to? Or would we continue life normally, pretending nothing was different? I kept on thinking of all the possibilities, wondering which one I would prefer more.

I was surprised (as well as confused) when I felt somebody wrap their hands around me.

"Kaity!" Flora's voice said in excitement, making her way into my view, "I'm SO glad you're awake!" I gave a weak smile, rubbing my eyes.

"It's great to see you… I wish it could have been somewhere better, though." I admitted. She laughed, hugging me tightly. I yelped, feeling a sharp pain in my back. She instantly recoiled, her face one of confusion.

"What did I do?" she asked in a worried and fast voice.

"Just be careful, Flora." The Professor said, looking over at us from where he was. He was tending to Remi once again, "You might hurt her. Her back isn't in the best condition."

"I'm sorry!" Flora said, panicked, "Did I hurt you?" I shook my head, smiling.

"It's fine, Flora. Really." I assured her. She sighed in relief. I smiled, but then froze. Something didn't quite feel right.

"Where's Luke?" I asked, looking around the cold, stone room. I couldn't see any sign on the boy. There was a troubled look on Flora's face. The Professor looked away. I could see him shaking as he continued to clean Remi's wound. There was a long a silence between us all. Fear swept over me like a tidal wave. I heard the Professor take a deep breath before answering my question.

"He took him." He said, voice barely a whisper. I looked down, unsure what do say. Flora looked away quickly, but not quickly enough. I saw the tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Why?" I asked quietly. The Professor looked at me.

This was the first time that I'd ever seen him upset. He looked like he was lost, unsure where to go.

In a normal situation he would have stopped at nothing to get Luke back. He would have started looking immediately, and we wouldn't have given up until he'd brought him home, safe and sound. But this wasn't an ordinary situation. We were all stuck in a dirty, old cell, with no way of escaping. And in this case, we did know where he was. What Don Paolo wanted with him was another question altogether.

I saw him slump his shoulders forward, pulling his hat over his eyes.

"We can only guess." He whispered. I looked at Flora, scared.

"Why didn't you guys wake me?" I asked frantically, "How long has he been missing? Why didn't anybody stop him?" Flora looked at me with tearful eyes. I suddenly felt guilty for my sudden outburst. I hugged her tightly. I felt the sobs rock through her body and felt immense pain, thinking about everything. Luke was like a brother to Flora, she was clearly worried. I had a sudden thought.

Was this what it was like for the Professor last night? Holding me while I cried?

"We didn't wake you because you need your rest." She explained softly, "You looked so peaceful, Kaity. We couldn't destroy that. He's been missing for around two hours now, give or take some time." She hesitated, and I felt scared at what she would say next, "The reason we didn't stop him in because he had a knife as Luke's throat. Exactly the same as the one he used with you." My heart dropped, and my fear immediately increased. I looked at the Professor once again, wondering what this was like to him.

* * *

There wasn't much to do in the cell.

Time passed slowly. I was still tired from the lack of sleep, but rest wasn't really one of the options.

I spent most of my time waiting for something to happen. But that was the catch of the waiting game; nothing ever _did_ happen.

Remi awoke eventually, looking much better than she had the previous day. She was outraged by being stuck in the cell, but even angrier to find out that Paolo had beaten her and taken Luke.

"Nobody," she growled, "absolutely _nobody_, beats Remi Altava in a fight and gets away with it." This made me smile; at least Remi was in high spirits. Sort of.

Occasionally I would kick feebly at the door, half hoping for it to miraculously fall down so we could find Luke. But it never did.

Where had Paolo taken him? Why had he taken Luke specifically? I mean, I hadn't told Luke anything about the future. He'd never really questioned me on the subject. And Paolo knew that. He knew that I had told the Professor and Flora more. So why Luke?

I kept on sneaking glances at the Professor. He refused eye contact with everybody and everything. Now that Remi was awake and able to do things herself, his only distraction was gone. He just sat in the corner, with his coat wrapped around him tightly and hat pulled down to cover his face. He barely moved and I often wanted to check if he was ok.

But somewhere inside me I knew I had to leave him alone. That he was thinking deeply about something. It was weird… the sensation was like when the voice was talking to be. Only it wasn't. All was silent, with the exception of Flora's sobs every now and then. But something was silently giving me pointers, the right time to help Remi clean her wounds and the right time to comfort Flora. It also told me the right time to stand up, walk over to the door, and give it a good, hard kick. I heard a gruff voice from the other side.

"Quit it, you little brat!" Paolo growled. I smiled, somehow feeling protected.

"Why should I?" I challenged loudly, kicking the door once more, "Let us go, you evil, sick..." I didn't continue that sentence, however I did continue to slam my fists against the door as hard as I could. I felt my knuckles scrape against the cold, hard metal, as well as the blood dripping down them. I didn't care.

I could tell Flora, Remi and possibly the Professor were all looking at me. I ignored them completely and continued attacking the door as vigorously as I could. Eventually Paolo opened it. He grabbed me roughly by the arm, nails digging into my flesh.

"Stop it right now, or your little friend will pay for your mistake." He threatened. I quieted down, remembering Luke.

"Let her go, Paolo." I turned around and realized Professor Layton had stood up. He looked calm and collected, like he knew exactly what he was going to do.

"Why should I?" Don Paolo asked, glaring at him. The Professor simply looked at him.

"Because there is no_ need_ for violence." He explained, "Wouldn't the world be a better place if we simply talked over situations rather than resorting to harmful solutions?" Paolo looked confused.

"What in the blazes are you talking about, Layton?" he asked gruffly. The Professor ignored the question completely. He walked over to me and took my other arm. Paolo sighed before letting go. The Professor smiled slightly, and I felt a small piece of paper being slid into my hand. I grasped it, unsure what it was. I looked at the Professor, and he gave me a quick wink, motioning for me to sit back down next to Remi. I did as I was told, wondering what was going to happen next.

"Luke knows nothing about the situation in hand," the Professor continued, "so punishing him would be a useless act and would result in rather unneeded violence. However, _I_ do. So how about we organize a trade off? I'll come with you and answer any questions you may have, just so long as you let the others go." I looked at the Professor in shock, not quite believing what I'd just heard. Don Paolo looked equally as surprised. He regarded the Professor with a cold look.

"No." he replied firmly. I raised an eyebrow, confused. I thought Don Paolo would stop at nothing to harm Layton. So why was he declining an offer like this? The Professor brow furrowed; he clearly wasn't expecting that. "If you hand over Kaity, I will let everybody go." Paolo concluded, giving me a quick glance. My heart thudded painfully in my chest.

I wasn't going to tell him anything. And he would hurt me. I couldn't go through that pain again. My fist clenched tightly and I bit my lip, wondering what the Professor would say. He was clearly desperate to get Luke back.

"However," Paolo continued, "If you hand _yourself_ over, I'll give you the boy back and won't harm any of the others. I won't let them go, though." The Professor chuckled, surprisingly.

"Wouldn't that be a little pointless?" he asked, "Just leaving them here?" Paolo shrugged. Hershel sighed. "I suppose it will have to do, though. I accept your offer; myself for Luke." I gasped. I wasn't the only one. Flora and Remi looked at him, fear written clearly on their faces.

"Professor, no!" I said in shock. He ignored me, continuing to look at Don Paolo. The scientist smiled.

"So be it then, Layton." He said gleefully, "Follow me."

"You must bring Luke first." The Professor pointed out. Paolo sighed.

"Fine," He snapped, "Stay here, then." He slammed the door shut. I stood up immediately, unable to believe what I'd just heard.

"Professor-" I began, but he put up his hand to silence me.

"Kaity, you must trust me. Once Luke is back and I have gone for five minutes, you must read that note and do exactly as it says. Here, take this." He handed me a small switch, "I trust you remember what it is?"

"The elevator remote…" I murmured, "How did you…?"

"The note explains everything, Kaity." He interrupted, "You must trust me." I nodded, unable to speak. Flora ran up and hugged the Professor, sobbing even harder than before. Remi did the same, minus the sobbing. I simply looked at him, and eventually words were able to form in my mouth.

"Thank you, Professor." I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "For everything."

"It's quite alright." He promised me, "Stay strong, Kaity." I nodded, looking at him. Even in the dim candlelight I could still see all of his features. The orange shirt, the dark brown coat and pants, and lastly but definitely not least, his famous top hat, perched on his head.

Something was different about the hat though, like it was missing an important feature of it. Before I could figure out what, the door opened, and in stumbled Luke.

I had expected him to be battered and bruised, crying and scared. But he wasn't. Surprisingly, despite looking tired, he was alright.

"Professor!" he exclaimed, hugging the man. Hershel looked at him, worried.

"Are you hurt, Luke?" he asked, concerned. Luke shook his head.

"I'm fine, Professor, really. I'm just glad to be back." The room fell silent. It was clear that Paolo hadn't told Luke the trade-off.

"Luke, I'm leaving for a while." The Professor said calmly, "But I promise you everything will be ok." Luke looked confused.

"What?" he asked. The Professor smiled.

"Kaity will explain everything." He promised. Luke nodded, having faith in his father-like figure. Paolo appeared around the door, waiting impatiently.

We all watched in silence as the Professor nodded, following Paolo out the door. The door swung closed with a soft thud. All was silent. Luke turned to look at me.

"What did he mean, Kaity?" he questioned, sitting next to me, "Why did he say you would explain?" I showed him the piece of paper in my hand.

"He told me not to read it yet." I said, "Until he'd been gone for five minutes. I think it will explain everything."

* * *

The five minutes seemed to stretch on forever. To pass the time, Luke told me what had happened to him.

"I was scared that he would hurt me," he admitted, "and he did. But not too badly. He gave me some sort of needle; he said that it had truth serum in it. But it didn't have any affect, because you hadn't told me anything about the future." I nodded, my suspicions confirmed.

Don Paolo had only taken Luke so the Professor would offer himself up.

It felt like an hour later that Remi informed me that I could open the note. I did, with trembling hands, and I immediately saw the Professor's neat handwriting. I read it aloud.

_Everybody,_

_I trust by now I have gone, and Luke is back. If this is so, then everything is in order to continue with the plan._

_I've been going over what I was going to do ever since Luke was taken. My guess is that Paolo would decline my first offer, which was my intention. Had I said what I had actually wanted (the current scenario) he would have lowered the deal regardless. So if I am correct, you all should be in the cell still._

_Hopefully I was able to get the elevator switch to you, Kaity. It is your key out of here; literally. Luckily Paolo doesn't protect his pockets too well._

_Now, this is what you need to do. You may or may not have noticed that the cell door didn't shut correctly when I left. This was my doing: the band from my top hat is lodged underneath. You must carefully open it and get everybody out. Once you've done this, take the band out from the bottom of the door and close it properly. Also remove all the little numbered blocks that make up the puzzle; that way Don Paolo will take longer to open it next time. It will hopefully give you some time to escape._

_Get everybody on the elevator and use the switch. __Do not__ go back for me._

_Once you're out of the hideout, find an inn to stay at for the night. Register under a fake name. Make sure you lock all the doors, and don't let anybody go out alone, only travel in pairs. Paolo will be angry that you got out, and he will try to get you all back. Don't give him that chance. _

_Kaity, you must find Mary's parents and try to convince them to stay. You must also find a way to secure your parents' future. That is up to you; I can't help you from here on._

_Good luck, everybody. Best wishes,_

_Hershel Layton._

* * *

**I've ended the chapter there because I've figured out exactly what will happen in the next chapter, and it needs to be together for it to work well.**

**Remember the new story title competition is still running, I haven't received any ideas yet. If you have an idea, no matter how good or bad, I'd love to hear it :D**

**Again, sorry for the slow update. I'll be faster next time. And if you do see any mistakes, you know what to do ;) Thank you to Water Lily, who has done this every chapter :D**


	22. Hallucinations

**Happy New Year everybody! Let's make it a good one ;)**

* * *

I finished the note, my hands trembling. I looked at the faces surrounding me.

Luke had become visibly paler, his lower lip quivering. He looked at me with big, fearful eyes and I felt a lump rise in my throat.

Flora's face was tear-stained, with even more threatening behind her eyes. She looked in shock, like she was unable to fully comprehend what had just happened. She avoided all eye contact with anybody else.

Remi looked surprisingly strong. Though she looked like she was pained by what the Professor had written in the note, it also looked as if she had been expecting something along those lines. A single tear made its way down her cheek. She wiped it away hastily and stood up, determination in her eyes.

"Alright, everybody," she began. Her voice was shaking slightly, but it was still strong. "you heard what Kaity read out. Hershel's given us a chance to escape and we have to use it." Flora and Luke both nodded. I took a deep breath.

"Ok." I whispered. Remi gave a small smile and made her way to the door. She knelt down and examined something.

"He did it." She breathed, "We should be able to open the door from the inside!" My heart jumped, maybe there was a chance. Remi bent down and tried to pry the door open. "It won't budge." She announced flatly, turning around to us, "Luke, you've got small fingers. Maybe you can open it."

The young boy nodded eagerly, making his way over to Remi. Flora and I watched as he managed to fit his fingers through the small gap and (with a big grunt) pull the door open. He grinned and turned to us. "Layton's apprentice saves the day!" he said happily. I couldn't stop myself from smiling. Silently, we all filed out the door. I noticed the Professor's hat band and I quickly took it out. Remi shut it, making the and echoing sound all around us.

I smoothed out the hat band carefully. It was slightly dirty from being on the ground, and parts of it had frayed, but besides that it was fine. I stared at it silently, trying to fight back the depressing thoughts that were crossing my mind. Most of them wondering if this was the only part of the Professor we'd ever see again.

I pulled myself out of my trance after a while, and realized that everybody was staring at me. Or rather, the band I was holding. We were drowned in a long silence, all of us in our separate thoughts. Eventually Flora spoke.

"What now?" she asked, looking back and forth at me and Remi. I shrugged, knowing what I wanted to do.

I wanted to go back and save the Professor.

But how could I? Besides, we might all lose the opportunity of escape if I did. No, it was up to Remi to decide what we would do next.

"You're all going back up to the top of the hill, that's what." She replied firmly. I looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean," she said in an exasperated voice while taking out the numbered blocks from the door, "that I don't care what the Professor wrote. You three are going to use the remote to get out of here. Once you are out, send the remote back down to me, then run for it. I don't care where; just get as far away from here as you can. With any luck the Professor and I will join you."

"Woah!" I said in shock, "Remi, you can't possible think you can do this on your own? I'm coming with you!" For a split second, she looked like she was about to disagree. But the look I had on my face clearly made her change her mind.

"Fine." She said, "But Luke, Flora, I'm not putting you in danger. You're like the Professor's kids. He wouldn't want you to get hurt. He wouldn't want any of us to get hurt, actually, but sometimes we have to break the rules." Luke and Flora didn't protest. Flora nodded and took Luke by the hand to the elevator. I suddenly remembered what Paolo had told me.

"Remi, run to the back wall, now!" I yelled. She gave me a confused look before doing as she was told. I followed her quickly. Once there, I looked back at Luke and Flora and nodded. Sparing us one last glance, Flora pressed the button.

* * *

I felt myself being pressed firmly against the walls. The force stung my eyes, so I closed them tightly. It felt like there was a huge weight being pressed against my chest. I gasped in shock. It was very unpleasant.

Then all of a sudden, it stopped. I opened my eyes and looked at Remi. She looked back at me in shock.

"You could have warned me that was going to happen!" she said gruffly. I smiled weakly.

"We should stay here until they send the remote back down. According to Paolo, the force is enough to send anything slamming into the wall." Remi laughed.

"Trust him to be honest for once." She said, sounding surprised. I heard a loud rumbling sound. For a moment I thought it was the elevator coming back down, so I leaned against the wall once again. But when I heard Remi laughing I was confused. "It's just my stomach!" she told me through fits of laughter. I smiled, realizing just how hungry I was. When had I last eaten? It must have been almost a day ago now… the thought of lemon meringue pie and lasagna made my mouth water uncontrollably. Suddenly a louder rumbling sound emitted around us. Both Remi and I pressed against the wall firmly, waiting for the force to pass.

It did, after about five seconds.

"I'm never gonna get used to that…" I muttered, walking back over to the elevator. The little switch was there, thankfully. I picked it up carefully, turning it over in my hands before placing it carefully in my pocket. I looked back over at Remi, suddenly unsure what to do.

"What now?" I asked, looking around. Remi walked around, studying the eight different doors in the passageway.

"I bet that most of these are decoys…" she murmured, looking around. I nodded.

"They were locked when I had to try and get in." I informed her.

"There should be at least one other door that can actually open." She said, looking around her, "And I bet we have the key right here!" Her gaze flickered over to my pocket, and I pulled out the elevator switch.

"You think this could open another door?"

"I do. Could you pass it to me please?" she requested. I gave her the switch, wondering if she was right. She examined it from all angles before taken a screw driver out of her pocket and undoing the back. "Aha!" she declared triumphantly, "Here it is!" She showed me the back of the switch, which now looked surprisingly hollow. Inside was another button. I grinned, then a though occurred to me.

"How do you know it's not a trap?" I asked.

"Paolo would need a way to get around somehow." She explained reasonably, "My guess is that this will open another door. The one we need to open." I nodded, and she pressed the little button. We heard a strange little clicking sound, and the door to our right opened. Remi smiled smugly. "And he thought he could outsmart us. Better luck next time, pal." I smiled. Somehow Remi dissing Don Paolo made me feel a lot better about the whole situation. She handing me back the remote, and I stored it safely in my pocket once again

We went through the door, walking silently through another cold corridor. Remi studied me for a moment.

"You know, you don't have to come if you don't want to." She offered, "You're back still hasn't fully healed yet. It could be dangerous."

"That's rich coming from somebody who, only a few hours ago, I had to help change her bandages." I pointed out smugly, "You're not getting rid of me that easily." Remi smiled.

"I suppose you be of some use." She admitted, "Come on, we'd better hurry up. The Professor needs us." We continued on in silence.

Eventually we come to another door. We stopped beside it, wondering what to do next. Remi pressed her ear against it, trying to hear if there were sounds coming from the other side. She shook her head.

"I can't hear anything…" she whispered, "I don't know if it's safe."

"There's only one way to find out." I said. She nodded and took hold of the doorknob, turning it slowly so it wouldn't make any noise. She pushed the door open carefully and peeked through. I didn't dare look; I was scared at what I would see. Remi's eyes widened, and very quickly she became pale. She took a few deep breathes before shutting the door carefully.

"He's there…" she informed me, her voice faint, "I think he's knocked out. Paolo's isn't there, though." A cold rush spread throughout me, and I shuddered. "It's now or never. I'll stand guard while you try to wake the Professor. That way, we might have a chance." She paused for a split second before continuing, "If worst comes to worse, leave me and save yourself. No buts!" she added upon seeing my bewildered expression, "It's only as a last resort, ok?" I nodded. Remi gave a small smile before the door once again. She entered the room, me following her closely. I peeked out from behind her back, and I had to stop myself from letting out a yelp.

The Professor was there alright, and he didn't look good. His famous top hat was lopsided, almost to the point of falling off. His eyes were closed, and he looked even paler than Remi had when I first saw her injured. He was sitting on a simple wooden chair. The only comforting thing was the steady rise and fall of his chest. At least he was still breathing.

I couldn't stop myself. I immediately ran to his side, scared that he might have injuries that I had missed. But upon further examination he seemed unharmed. Apart from the fact that he was unconscious, that is.

"Is he alright?" Remi asked from behind me.

"He seems to be. Keep a lookout for Paolo, I'll try and wake him." Before I did, though, I carefully adjusted his top hat so it was in no danger of falling off. I took the band out from my pocket and carefully tied it around his hat. He looked a little better now.

"Hurry, Kaity. I think I can hear somebody coming." Remi whispered urgently. In panic I looked back at the Professor.

"Hershel?" I murmured, shaking him slightly, "Please, you have to wake up. He'll be back any second and we need to get out of here!" For a split second, his eyes opened. They couldn't seem to focus properly; they were darting back and forth in panic.

"Kaity?" he croaked. Suddenly he gasped, and his breathing quickened.

"Professor?" I said in panic, "Are you ok?" He didn't seem to hear me, he began shaking uncontrollably. He squeezed his eyes shut tight.

"Make… it stop!" he begged. My heart froze; it looked as if he was in a lot of pain. Suddenly the shaking stopped. His breathing returned to normal and his eyes fluttered back open. He looked at me into panic. "I told you to get out of here!"

I heard another door open behind me, and I looked back. I heard Remi gasp.

Don Paolo was back.

"Two little girlies got out, did they?" he sneered, shutting the door behind him, "We can't have that!"

"Back off, Paolo." Remi hissed dangerously. I turned back to the Professor, who seemed to have lost consciousness once more. Don Paolo followed my gaze.

"He's a lost cause," he informed me smugly, "he chose not to co-operate with me."

"What did you do!" I demanded, rising to my feet.

"Kaity, I'll handle it." Remi said quickly, noticing my anger. I turned my back on them both, looking at the Professor.

"Like I said, he chose not to co-operate." Paolo repeated, "So there were some consequences. It's a simple hallucination drug that'll make him relive some of his worst memories. It'll wear off in a few hours, but there's more from where that came from, believe me." Anger rose up inside me.

"You _monster_!" I hissed, turning around once more. He looked at me, a dangerous gleam in his eyes and pulled something out of one of his pockets. I saw the silver item and was frozen with terror. It was a knife.

I watched in fear as he advanced on Remi. He was fast, but Remi was faster. In one sweeping movement she had kicked the blade out if his hand. It went spinning in my direction, missing me by an inch. I sighed in relief and went back to my task of waking the Professor while Remi continued her fight with Paolo.

"Professor, _please_," I begged, "wake up! We need to get out of here right away!" His eyes opened once more, and the ragged breathing began again. He shook uncontrollably, and I backed away in fight.

"Claire!" he groaned, "No… please Claire… don't die, you can't!" A few tears escaped him and he let out a loud sob.

Claire? Who was Claire? She must have meant a great deal to the Professor. "Don't leave me, you can't. I love you..." He said hopelessly. He stopped shaking and stayed still. So still that I was afraid he was no longer with us.

Something didn't feel right. I turned around and noticed the Don Paolo had stopped fighting. He was looking at Layton with some expression on his face… pain, perhaps? Time seemed to stand still.

Then all of a sudden, things began moving again. I saw Remi take Paolo's hesitation as an advantage and aim another kick at the man.

"Ah!" he moaned, toppling backwards. Wasting no time, Remi came back to me.

"Is he alright?" she gasped exhausted.

"I'm really not sure." I began, "Remi, do you know who Cl-"

"Not now, Kaity. We have to get him out of here." She explained briskly, "You take one arm and I'll take the other." I did as I was told, pulling him to his feet. For a few seconds, he looked around, unsure what to make of the situation. But he closed his eyes again and fell into another daze.

"Quickly!" I gasped, noticing that Paolo had risen to his feet unsteadily. We made it to the door and got through quickly. I slammed it shut, hoping it would save us some time.

We made of way through the corridor as fast as we could. But by the time we reached the end the Professor had entered another wave of memories.

"No… Claire. It's my fault… I should have stopped you. It's all my fault you're gone." He mumbled, getting some of the words mixed up. Suddenly, he collapsed. Gasping, Remi and I tried to pick him back up, just as Paolo came through the door. We managed to haul him to his feet and keep on going, despite him trembling. We turned another corner.

The elevator was just in sight. I put my hand in my pocket and felt the switch, any second now…

We reached the elevator and put the Professor down, just as Paolo rounded the corner. He looked at us with an outraged expression on his face.

"LAYTON!" he roared loudly, fury in his voice. I took the switch out of my pocket, unable to help the smile spreading across my face.

"So long, Paolo!" I announced cheerfully, pressing the button. I found myself shooting upwards, leaving the ghastly prison behind.

* * *

**Wow… long chapter. I didn't think it would be so big in the end! As usual, please inform me of any mistakes you see, blah blah blah… hope you enjoyed!**

**Ok, now for the less-pleasant part. As of now, all my stories are on hiatus. If you want more information, go to my profile. Sorry, but it's something I have to do, I know that if I don't do it now I will never get it done.**

**Remember, the little competition is still running. Haven't had any suggestions yet, so if you have any, please tell me :)**** It's for a new title for this story. **


	23. Memories

**Hey guys! Firstly, I would like to apologize for not updating, but I'm back now XD Hiatus is completely finished now, thank God. I was getting really sick of it, trust me. If you want more info, check out my DA journal entries… you might find my stressed moods humorous. Looking back on them I do.**

**Also, this chapter has very, very mild spoilers for the 5****th**** game. I'm guessing you all know who Lando is by now though. If not don't worry about it too much, he doesn't play a big part in this chapter. Also contains spoilers for the Unwound Future, but come on! You all should have played it by now anyway!**

* * *

After what seemed like a long time, Remi, the Professor and I finally emerged from the top of the hill. I sighed with relief; we'd finally escaped the prison. I smiled at Remi slightly, and she returned it.

"We're free…" I murmured, part of me unable to believe it. She nodded, turning her gaze to the Professor. He was unconscious once again. "Will he be ok?" I questioned, concerned. She studied him carefully.

"I think so," she mused, "Remember what Paolo said? It will wear off in a few hours."

"I wonder what he's hallucinating..." I though aloud, looking at Remi, "Do you know who-"

"I'm sorry, Kaity." She interrupted while steadying the Professor, "But it's not for me to say. If the Hershel wants to, he will tell you." Remi sounded pained by this, so I didn't press on the subject any longer. We were silent for a few moments as we both supported the Professor's weight evenly between us, making our way down the hill. I cast a glance around the area; there was no sign of either Luke or Flora.

"Where are they?" I asked, worried.

"We told them to get as far away as they could." Remi reminded me, "If we start driving along in the Laytonmobile we should find them soon enough."

"I hope so." I muttered.

We finally reached the Professor's car. I looked up into the sky and realized that dawn was approaching; I could see the sun beginning to appear on the horizon.

Wow… we'd been in the room longer than I had thought.

Remi opened one of the backseat car doors, looking at me.

"We'll slide the Professor in first," She told me, "you stay in the back with him and I'll drive. Just try to comfort him as best as you can, and for that single moment when his lucid after each hallucination, try to explain to him that he's just imagining it all." I nodded.

"Alright then." We managed to get the Professor in, just as he entered another spasm.

"No!" he yelled out loud, thrashing about violently, "Lando, I can save you, please!" I sat down in the seat next to him, trying to calm him down. It wasn't an easy task, though. No matter what I did, nothing seemed to get across to him. Remi started up the car and we began travelling at a slow pace, keeping an eye out for Luke and Flora.

Eventually the Professor's shaking stopped. He took a few deep breathes and his eyes opened slightly. This was my chance.

"Professor," I said clearly, "You must listen to me. The things you're seeing, they aren't real." He looked at me in mixture of fear and confusion.

"Lando?" he murmured.

"No, Professor." I said loudly, "It's me, Kaity. Please, try to remember." He shook his head.

"Lando…" he repeated again, this time in a quieter and sadder voice. He closed his eyes once more and went out of consciousness.

"Remi, it's not working." I informed her. She nodded.

"I know, Kaity." She said, "But keep on trying."

I did try. I tried my hardest to get across to him, but nothing I did seemed to bring him out of his trance like state. He would often mumble things about being sorry, mentioning the name Claire again, as well as Lando a few times.

I shuddered, wondering what I would have been imagining if the drug was given to me. To be honest, I didn't want to know.

* * *

**Layton's POV:**

Paolo took me through the door, closing it behind him. I took a quick glance at my hat band underneath it; it had done its job well. I could see clearly that the door hadn't shut correctly, I just hoped he hadn't noticed.

Thankfully, he continued on. He searched his pockets until he pulled out a little switch, identical to the one I had given Kaity. So he had a backup, which was good news. Otherwise he may have suspected something.

I watched as he unscrewed the back, pressing another little button. The door to our right made a little clicking sound, and I could tell it had been unlocked.

"Scum first, Layton." Paolo hissed, opening the door for me. I ignored the remark, knowing that retaliating wouldn't help the situation at all. I walked calmly into the next hallway, wondering where we were going. I heard the door behind me close, and suddenly Don Paolo was at my side.

He began walking, and I followed him. After all, I didn't have any other choice. Eventually we came to another door. He opened it fully, stepping aside so I could see what was there.

There wasn't much, to be honest. Only a simple chair, sitting in the middle of the room. He looked at me, eyes gleaming.

"Sit." He ordered, gesturing to the chair. I nodded, doing as I was told. I somehow felt like I was back in school again, I was the student and Paolo was the teacher.

"Well, what do you wish to know, Paolo?" I asked calmly, wondering how I could stall for time.

"Tell me about the future, Layton." He replied, "Tell me everything you know."

"I'm afraid that wouldn't be much." I admitted, "You see, I instructed Kaity not to tell me anything. Things are better that way." His eyes narrowed.

"But you do know some things, don't you?" he questioned, "More than your little apprentice, anyway." I nodded.

"That is true." I confirmed, "However, as I said before, it isn't very much."

"I don't care." He hissed, "Just tell me already!" I stayed silent, looking up at him calmly. He smirked. "I have all day, Layton." He said in a sing song voice, "And all of tomorrow as well. It's just you and me, nobody else."

"I suppose you're correct." He sighed heavily.

"I'm not in the mood for games." He snapped, "So spill."

"Or what?" I challenged, knowing my next more.

He could torture me all he wanted, as long as it brought the others some time. I would be willing to risk my life if it meant they escaped.

To my surprise, Don Paolo smiled. He swiftly brought out a little needle from one of his pockets, holding it up for me to see.

"Do you know what this is, Layton?" he questioned. I studied it for a few seconds. It didn't seem familiar to me in the slightest; it contained a strange purple colored liquid.

"I'd imagine it's some sort of drug." I replied, "Although I'm not sure what it does."

"Tell me," Paolo threatened, "or you'll get a small dosage of it. It isn't pleasant, trust me, you'll be wishing you're dead when it's in affect."

"Maybe so," I said, stalling for time, "and maybe not." Paolo shook his head, sighing.

"Always a gentleman, aren't you Layton?" he sneered, "And _true_ gentlemen never show fear, do they?" With that, he plunged the needle in my arm.

To my surprise, it didn't hurt. Everything around me began to fade, but. I felt a strange tingling sensation within me, and I realized I was somewhere completely different.

I was back in St Mystere, in the tower to be precise. I rubbed my eyes, unable to believe it.

Was I dreaming? No, I couldn't be. Everything around me was so clear and defined; it was exactly how I remembered it. Standing next to me was Luke, and to the opposite of us was the Golden Apple, Flora.

Suddenly, the whole tower began to shake. I frowned, part of me knowing what was coming next. But at the same time I had no idea. I swiftly ran to the closed window, opening it quickly.

Outside was Paolo, in some sort of flying contraption. He was laughing, and suddenly a weapon swung out from his machine, hitting the tower.

Everything around us was shaking even more. Flora fell down, looking around her in fear.

"We must leave now!" I announced, running toward them.

"The whole place is starting to crumble!" Luke exclaimed in shock, moving about unsteadily.

"Quickly, this way!" I yelled. I helped Flora off the ground and we began running down the stairs.

I had an uneasy feeling about this, like I was about to repeat a very bad mistake. I realized what it was when part of the roof above fell down, completely destroying part of the staircase. I managed to stop in time, but Luke didn't.

I froze in shock as the young boy made his leap from one side to the other. To my relief, he made it. My heart rate quickly returned to normal, but I knew we weren't out of the woods yet. Flora almost fell too, but thankfully I managed to grab ahold of her in time and pull her back up.

"Professor!" Luke yelled out in aghast.

"Luke, go on without us!" I exclaimed, "I have an idea!" Although I didn't know what it was just yet.

"But-" he began.

"We're fine!" I urged regretfully, "Go on!"

"Er, right!" he called, continuing to make his way down the staircase. I watched him in terror, guilt sweeping through me.

What if he didn't make it? What if the tower collapsed before he got to the bottom? What sort of gentleman let a child get into a situation like this in the first place?

I gasped, suddenly sucked out of that world. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to remember any more. Was there any more to remember? Was anything around me actually happening?

Eventually, I opened my eyes timidly and found myself back in the room I was in earlier. Paolo was hovering over me, a twisted grin on his face.

"There's more from where that came from." He told me. I thought he may have said something else, but I never heard what it was. I saw everything around me become hazy, and I soon forgot what I had just witnessed.

I found myself back in St Mystere yet again, in the park. Only this time I was running as fast as I could. I frowned in confusion; just what was happening?

I turned around and noticed in shock that myself and Luke were being chased by a giant Ferris wheel. I gasped, continuing to sprint.

It kept on gaining on us, and I noticed that Luke was getting tired. He was so close to being hit…

We rounded a corner, and for a split second we both though it was no longer there. A look back behind us told me otherwise; it was still hot on our heels.

"I- I think it's chasing after us!" Luke panted, trying to pick up the pace.

"That's preposterous!" I assured him, although I wasn't fully convinced. How many run away Ferris wheels randomly turned a corner?

The pair of us continued running, but it continued getting faster. Or was it us getting slower? My heart thudding painfully in my chest; was this the end for us?

"Hershel?" somebody murmured, shaking me slightly. I found myself being sucked out of that world, and I was soon looking up at a familiar face.

"Kaity?" I croaked. What was she doing here? Suddenly my body tensed up again, and I found myself back in the park with Luke. I knew what I had to do.

I quickly tackled Luke, holding him protectively in my arms away from the Ferris wheel. We skidded to a halt on the ground while it crashed into the lake.

"Professor?" Kaity's voice said once again, "Is everything alright?"

"Make… it stop." I managed to say weakly before slipping into another strange world.

I was in my old apartment, the one myself and Claire had bought about ten years ago. I was reading a book, but suddenly, the earth beneath me began to shake.

I sat up, confused. Was that an earth tremor? No, it couldn't have been, it was much too short. As I pondered this, a loud explosion was heard. It echoed around me violently, even though I could tell it wasn't from anywhere too close.

I frowned; what was the source of the noise? Then it hit me. I felt a sickening feeling in my stomach and a cold rush swept through me.

"Claire…" I murmured to myself before quickly putting on my coat, as well as my new top hat. With that, I was out of the door, not wanting to think of the possibilities of what could have happened.

Although deep down inside, I knew what it was. After all, my intuition never failed, did it?

"No Claire… please don't die, you can't!" I moaned before realizing I was no longer where I used to be.

What was happening to me?

I vaguely felt myself being pulled to my feet and being supported by two people. I wanted to open my eyes, to see who it was, but I just couldn't feel the strength or motivation to do it. All I could think about was Claire.

Slowly, I felt myself being pulled into yet another world. I opened my eyes to find that I was outside a building. It was completely destroyed, as was the one next to it. A fire was burning fiercely, and the area me was covered in smoke.

I recognized it as Claire's old laboratory. I sank to my knees, putting my head in my hands and letting a fierce sob escape.

"No… Claire." I moaned in pain, feeling like all my insides had been torn to pieces." It's my fault… I should have stopped you. It's my entire fault you're gone…"

I opened my eyes and realized that I was again back in the strange place. I heard voices around me, but none of them made any sense.

Then all of a sudden, I was shooting upwards. This would have usually amazed me, but somehow it didn't at that moment. Nothing seemed to matter.

I found myself out in the cool air, the smell of the country reaching me. The two people who were supporting me continued to take me somewhere downhill. They seemed to get to our destination, and I felt myself being put into some sort of seat. I allowed myself to relax for a moment; were the strange happenings at an end?

I had thought it too soon. I was soon enough sucked into another world. Regretfully, I opened my eyes.

I was in some sort of cave. There were ancient ruins carved into all the walls around me, and I found myself somewhat intrigued by them.

"Hershel!" a voice I had heard before said. I looked over to the source of it, and realized that it was him, my best friend.

Lando.

"What is it?" I asked, making my way over to him. He smiled, and I noticed something in his hand.

It was a mask, with strange markings all over it. He chuckled.

"Not that, Hershel. I found that earlier on. Were you even listening?" he asked playfully, "I'm talking about over there." He pointed to a wall behind him, which contained even more carvings. There was a large gap between him and the wall, though, it would be too dangerous to cross.

"Lando, you can't possibly be thinking of going over there?" I said reasonably. Lando nodded.

"It would be a magnificent discovery, Hershel." He told me, eyes gleaming, "I have a feeling this is what we've been looking for." He began making his way across the small ledge, but almost immediately after he took his first step, he slipped. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, trying to grab ahold of something.

I reached out to him with my hand and grasped it, trying to pull him back up. It was no use, the rocky ledge had begun cutting into my arm and Lando was quite heavy.

At first my friend looked shocked, almost afraid. But eventually a peaceful look appeared on his face, like he had already accepted his fate.

"No!" I yelled, shocked that he would even think of such a thing. I gripped his hand tighter, trying to pull him back up. But it was no use, I just didn't have the strength. I looked at my friend, pleading with my eyes. "Lando, I can save you, please!"

"Hershel," he said, quietly but clearly, "every puzzle has an answer. Never forget that." Before I could realize what had happened, he had let go of my hand.

And, within a small space of time, he was gone.

"LANDO!" I screamed, wanting him to come back. But he never did.

"Professor," a voice said clearly, a voice from the other world. I realized that my eyes were open, and I was looking up at the speaker. "you must listen to me. The things you're seeing, they aren't real." I looked at her, nothing she had said made any sense to me.

"Lando?" I murmured, not listening to what she was saying. Where had Lando gone?

"No, Professor." She said loudly, "It's me, Kaity. Please, try to remember." I shook my head.

"Lando…" I repeated again before falling into another world.

* * *

**Sorry guys, I just had to do this chapter. After all, weren't some of you even mildly interested in what the Professor was hallucinating about? ;) I know I was, hence why I wrote the chapter.**

**Next one will be up very soon, I promise. I really value all your patience, guys, so thank you :) And as usual, see any spelling/grammar mistakes, you know what to do. Once again thank you to Water Lily who does this every chapter, I don't know what I would do without you, really :)**


	24. An Idea

**Sorry for the slow update! I kinda did it to see if anybody else would review the last chapter, since I only got one :(**** But I was also on a camp for five days, so I didn't get a chance to write.**

**Also, the story hasn't been moving along very much in the last few chapters, so I'm going to start to try and improve that.**

**It's back in Kaity's POV, just letting you know.**

* * *

Before I knew it, I found myself sitting in a room. It was part of a small inn that Remi had chosen shortly after we'd found Luke and Flora.

Despite the fact that the fire was burning steadily, the sun was slowly rising, and I now had a full stomach, the atmosphere was heavy around me. I looked at Flora, who was lying next to me. The rise and fall of her chest indicated that she was sleeping peaceful, her face relaxed.

I looked across the room, and my eyes rested on Luke. He was sitting on one of the oversized armchairs, curled up into a little ball. He too was asleep, he had a slight smile on his face and I got the impression that he was having a good dream.

Finally, I pucked up the courage to look at the other bed at the side of the room. The Professor was lying on it, and he was currently unconscious. But I knew it wouldn't last long; the tremors would soon take over him once more.

Just as I thought that, his body began to tremble slightly and he began mumbling intelligible things. Soon, he was thrashing about violently, almost as if he was trying to fight somebody off. Beside him Remi tried to calm him down. Her face was set in a worried expression as she muttered soothing things to him while the spasm continued. Eventually he stopped, and for those few seconds, he opened his eyes.

This had been going on for around two hours. Each time was worse than the last, with the hallucinations becoming longer and longer. Remi was becoming more worried every minute, refusing to leave his side. Though we never spoke, I could tell we were thinking the same thing.

How much longer would it be until the hallucinations stopped? Surely it would be soon… wouldn't it? The inn keeper didn't seem to trust us when she let us in; the sight of the Professor in the state he was in was more than enough to make anybody feel uneasy. Would she kick us out if this continued on? Remi would worry as well, which couldn't be healthy. She hadn't eaten a thing since we'd arrived.

To my surprise, the Professor kept his eyes open, looking around him in confusion. His hand trembled slightly as he reached out and touched Remi's shoulder, afterwards sighing with relief.

"This is real… isn't it?" It was more of a statement than a question, although he looked like he wanted an answer regardless. Remi nodded, smiling weakly.

"Yes, Hershel." She replied, "This is real, I can assure you of that." He nodded, still quite pale.

"You look fatigued, my dear." he told her, "You should get some rest; you've had a rough time as of late." She shook her head, tutting slightly.

"Here you are, just barely out of consciousness, and you're worrying about _me_." She said, sighing, "Honestly Hershel, I'm fine."

"You were never a good liar, Remi." He commented, smiling, "You look tired."

"I'm not!" she denied, laughing slightly. I couldn't hide the grin that was appearing on my face. Even though he'd just experienced one of the most terrifying things, the Professor was in high spirits. He looked at Remi seriously.

"Please, Remi," he urged, "get some rest. I can easily tell you're tired, as well as hungry. I'm fine now, though that was a rather unpleasant experience, it has passed." Remi looked slightly taken aback by the Professor's ability to be so strong. I knew I was surprised; if I was in his position I probably would have been crying my eyes out.

Eventually Remi stood up, giving in to the Professor's wishes. "Alright, then, Professor." She said, "I suppose you're right. But are you sure there isn't anything you need before I get some rest?" He shook his head.

"I assure you Remi, I am perfectly alright. If I need anything I'm sure I'll be able to get it myself." For a small moment I thought she was going to object. In the end she didn't, she simply shrugged and made her way toward the bed at my end of the room. In a matter of minutes, she was asleep.

I looked back at the Professor. I could tell he was still awake; I could hear him drumming his fingers against the bedside table, as well as see his expression of concentration. I silently slipped out of my bed, approaching him slowly. He saw me and smiled kindly.

"Hello, Kaity." He whispered. I smiled back, sitting down on the chair Remi had previously occupied. There was a long silence between us. "You couldn't sleep?" I shook my head.

"No." I admitted, "I've been trying to, but whenever I get close I'll suddenly think about something else."

"Would I be correct in saying that you have something on your mind?" he guessed, studying me carefully. I smiled slightly.

"A number of things, actually."

"Well, you should tell me what they are." He suggested, "Perhaps I know the answers you seek." I nodded.

"Firstly, why did you do it?" I questioned. He blinked a few times.

"Do what?"

"Risk your life to save ours." I replied, "I mean… you could have died! What would have happened if Remi and I hadn't of come and helped you out of there?" He sighed.

"I had no intention for you to come after me." He answered, "I told you not to in the note, after all. I should have known you and Remi would disagree, though." I nodded, somehow that had answered my questioned. "Did Paolo by chance mention what he had done to me?" Hershel asked, interested.

"Don't you know? When you woke up it seemed like you were aware of everything that had happened." I said, mildly surprised. He chuckled.

"Sometimes you have to bluff to get what you want." He admitted, "I could tell Remi needed rest, and she wouldn't have gotten any if she thought she had to explain everything to me. I knew I was back in the real world when I could feel everything around me, though." I nodded.

"Paolo told us that he had given you some sort of hallucination drug." I explained, "He said that it made people relive some of their worst memories, and that it would wear off in a few hours." The Professor thought about what I had said.

"Well, that does explain some things." He murmured. I waited for him to continue, but he didn't. I sighed, wondering how to ask my next question.

"Professor," I began, "who is Claire?" He looked up at me in shock, tensing slightly. "You don't have to tell me," I said in a rushed voice, afraid I'd upset him, "it's just… you mentioned her name a few times, while you were hallucinating." He nodded slowly.

"I see…" he mused, thinking for a few moments, "I suppose it's understandable for you to be curious about the situation." He looked out the window, an unreadable expression on his face. "Claire… she was my fiancé." He said it calmly, so calmly in fact that it made me worried.

What did he mean by 'was'?

"What happened to her?" I asked, having an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"She was a scientist… absolutely dedicated to any project she was working on. Then, on the day she gave me this hat," he said, placing his hand on it, "there was a terrible accident. Something had gone wrong in the lab… there was an explosion."

"Oh no!" I gasped, putting my hand over my mouth. A feeling of dread swept over me. The Professor nodded sadly.

"She was testing the experiment… she wouldn't have had a chance to escape." He finished, looking down at his hands. I had to stop myself from crying.

So the Professor had lost somebody close to him as well…

"I'm so sorry." I chocked, looking at him, "That's awful, it really is."

"What's past is past." He said wistfully, "Although it's tragic, she died doing what she loved… it's how she would have wanted it." I nodded, understanding.

"I guess so…" I murmured. I yawned, realizing just how tired I really was. He smiled slightly.

"Have I put your mind at ease?" he asked, "Now you know the answers to your questions I think you'll manage to get some much needed rest, don't you?"

"Probably."

"Goodnight, Kaity." Hershel said, "Or should I say good morning?" I chuckled.

"Probably the latter." I admitted, heading toward my bed. I snuggled under the duvet carefully, trying not to wake Flora. I sighed, letting my mind wander off into the distance as I was pulled into a heavy sleep.

* * *

"Kaity!" an urgent voice exclaimed. My eyes snapped open.

"Wha?" I asked, sitting up. Remi was in front of me, literally freaking out.

"The Professor's gone." She announced.

"What!" I yelped, sitting up in shock. I groaned, putting my head in my hands. Why couldn't we just have one day where nothing went wrong? "Did he leave a note?" Remi shook her head.

"No." she said, looking around frantically, "I just woke up and found him gone." Fear was running through my veins.

"You don't think Don Paolo has him, do you?" I asked, terrified to know the answer. Remi bit her lip.

"He could." She admitted, "It's in the afternoon now, we've been asleep for a while. He could have come in at any time and taken him."

"We have to-" I told her, looking around me, "Wait, where's Flora?" Remi looked at the other side of the bed, the side Flora had been sleeping in. A look of stupidity appeared on her face.

"How could I not have realized Flora was gone too?" she exclaimed. I had to hold back a laugh; the situation was too serious to let it out. I had to regain my composure before speaking.

"Maybe they went out for a walk?" I suggested. Remi shook her head.

"He wouldn't do that in his condition… would he?" I sighed.

"Remi, relax." I said sternly, "The Professor wrote in the note 'only travel in pairs'. He's taking his own advice, you know. Besides, he probably just needed some fresh air." She was about to reply, but the door opened. We both turned around at the same time, just as the Professor walked, closely followed by Flora and… my grandfather, George.

But that wasn't all. Mary and Sam followed suit, holding hands. In an armchair nearby, Luke's head popped up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around him in confusion.

"Where were you?" Remi blurted out, surveying the scene in front of her with confused eyes.

"I had to get a doctor, didn't I?" Hershel replied, "After all, you did fall off you motorcycle pretty dangerously. It's best to get it checked out." He winked quickly, "Besides, George kindly offered to check Kaity's back."

Remi looked speechless. "T-that's very kind of you." She managed to stutter out eventually. George smiled.

"It looks like your bandages don't need changing just yet, so I'll check Kaity's back first." he announced, making his way over to me. He pulled a chair up and sat down, looking at me kindly. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." I replied. It wasn't a lie; in comparison to when the injury had just occurred, my back was in pretty good shape. He nodded.

"Any pain?" he asked.

"A little," I admitted, "But not nearly as much as before."

"That's a good sign." He told me, examining it carefully, "It means you're on the mend. I'd suggest you get plenty of rest in the meantime. Make sure you walk carefully, and try not to do anything that might damage it. The swelling has gone down a considerable amount, you're very lucky you didn't fall any harder." I smiled. Luck managed to get me through the best of times.

"That's good." I commented.

"You can't always rely on luck, though." He warned me. For a moment, I found myself back when I was younger, when my grandfather had told me the exact same thing when I'd fallen out of a tree. George Fisher doesn't change much at all in the future.

I stood up, gesturing for Remi to take my seat. Mary smiled at me, and I made my way outside, breathing in the fresh air around me. Everything was so peaceful…

Suddenly, an idea hit me.

"Flora, do you want to explore the…" I paused, looking around me. There were a few small slopes (which I knew I wouldn't be allowed to climb, given what happened last time), some trees, and not so far off was a lake, "lake with me?" I finished. Flora nodded, slightly confused, and came to my side.

I walked away briskly, not wanted to be followed by Luke, Mary or Sam. Flora kept up, throwing me strange glances. Eventually we reached the lake. It was small, but the water seemed like it was crystal clear. I looked at it in wonder, almost forgetting why I was there in the first place.

"Kaity," Flora's voice rang, bringing my out of my trance, "what's going on?" I smiled, turning to face her.

"Mary." I replied, looking at her with a steady gaze, "She's our only hope. Flora, I'm going to tell her everything."

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Sort of, anyway. Hopefully you liked it.**

**And yes, I know Claire wasn't Layton's fiancé. But seriously, the word 'girlfriend' doesn't seem to fit. Watching the scenes in the Unwound Future gives me the impression that Claire meant a lot more to him than that. So 'fiancé' sounds better in my opinion.**

**And guys, I know I shouldn't do this, but if you do like the story, could you please review? This isn't a beg for reviews, trust me. It's just, the story doesn't seem to be getting many, but when I look at how many hits it has for each chapter it's a lot more than I expect. So if you do like it, I would appreciate some feedback. Thank you :)**

**Next chapter will be up whenever my llama slaves write it :D Jokes, guys, my servants are the little minions from Despicable Me. They're so cute!**

**Also, the competition for a new title is still up. I had an idea of my own, and ardx submitted one, but I do like to know your submissions, whether or not you think they're lame.**


	25. Am I your Aunt?

**Fast update? ME? That's crazy! Nonetheless, here's the chapter. Enjoy :P**

* * *

Flora looked at me, her mouth hanging open. She reminded me of a goldfish, and I had to hold back a laugh.

"Kaity, you can't!" she protested after thinking for a few moments.

"Yes I can." I replied, "And I will." She shook her head.

"It's far too dangerous." She warned, "What if she doesn't believe you?"

"What if she does?" I pointed out, "Flora, I've mucked things up in this time enough, if I go back to my time so much will be different. Heck, I might not even be there! Mary can help us out, trust me."

"How?" she asked, crossing her arms stubbornly. I sighed.

"If I tell her things," I began slowly, "things that could happen, then she can actually _make_ them happen." Flora looked at me, confused.

"What?"

"Look, I know where and when my parents meet, as well as the date they get married. I was born nine months after their wedding." I explained, "If I tell Mary all this, then maybe she could ensure that it all happens!" I finished cheerfully; it was all so simple. Why hadn't I thought of it earlier on? Flora sighed, shaking her head. I suddenly had the feeling that I'd missed out on something obvious.

"You've forgotten one thing, Kaity. Mary doesn't live here anymore, how could she keep an eye on them?" she reminded me. I felt my good mood evaporate quickly, replaced with a feeling of stupidity.

Flora was right… Mary had moved to London. But surely there was a way to get her to move back?

"I'm going to tell her regardless." I announced, "If I can make her believe me then surely she'll put in more of an effort to convince her parents to let her stay!" Flora hesitated before replying.

"I don't like the idea." She said finally, "But it's your decision, I won't try to stop you." I smiled, somehow I'd have the feeling that Flora would give in.

"Great!" I said brightly, "But I'll need your help." I scanned the area quickly. I noticed Mary and Sam sitting on a nearby patch of grass, deep in conversation, "You'll have to keep Sam where he is while I talk to Mary. Just distract him, ask him simple questions and try not to make it obvious." Flora nodded confidently.

"Alright then." She said, "We'd best do it soon, Remi's checkup could end at any time." We quickly made our way over to the couple. I felt like an intruder, taking Mary away from Sam. But it head to be done.

I gave a friendly smile as I approached them. "Hello!" I greeted, "Mary, you should come and see the lake with me, it's really beautiful." She gave me a small, confused look before smiling.

"Sure!" she said cheerfully, standing up. Sam stood up as well, holding her hand. I bit my lip, quickly glancing at Flora.

"Sam," she began, "What's it like living here? I've always wanted to live in the country." He smiled.

"It's great, trust me." He told her, letting go of Mary's hand. I smiled and motioned for her to follow me.

* * *

We silently made out way towards the lake. Mary was happy enough, she seemed blissfully unaware of everything I was about to tell her. We reached the bank, and I stepped into the water. For a few moments, everything was cold around my feet. But eventually they numbed, and the water began to feel refreshing. I sighed, everything was too peaceful. Like the calm before a storm.

I turned around, unsure how to tell Mary. Should I say it quickly, get it over and done with? Or slowly, prepare her for the news that would turn her life upside down? I decided on the latter; it had worked with the Professor and Flora, after all.

"Mary, there's something I have to tell you." I admitted, looking at her in the eye. I took a deep breath, preparing to continue, but she put her hand up to silence me.

"Kaity, I know." She announced, "I know everything." I looked at her, dumbfounded.

"You… know?" I confirmed, confused. She nodded.

"Although I'm probably wrong," she said in a rushed voice, laughing lightly, "it seems a little… strange. But I think I'm right…or rather, _she's _right." My heart began to beat faster and faster. Was this what I thought?

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, "You mean to say that… you know I'm from the future?" Mary looked at me, wide eyed.

"So it's true?" she stuttered, "I-I don't know what to say! She was right after all…" I looked at her in wonder, unable to believe what I'd just heard.

"You heard a voice, didn't you?" I asked, "A girls voice." Mary nodded.

"I had a very strange dream last night." She mused, "There was a beautiful woman, and she was telling me things. She showed me everything that happened just then, you coming over to me and Sam, me following you to the lake… she also showed you telling me you were from the future. So when the first part happened… I knew the rest was true."

"What did the person look like?" I whispered, sitting down on a nearby rock. Mary joined me. "I've only ever heard her; she appeared to me once as a speck of light, though." Mary thought about it for a few moments.

"She was beautiful, as I said before." She murmured, "It's really hard to explain. She was so friendly, she made me feel safe and secure throughout the dream." I nodded, we were definitely talking about the same person.

"I wonder who she is…"

"Mm." Mary said. We both stayed silent for a little while.

"Did she say anything else?" I inquired eventually. She shook her head.

"No," she admitted, "only that you were from the future, and that I needed to believe everything you told me. She said… she said that Sam's life could depend on it." Her voice went even quieter at the end, and she looked down.

"It could be true," I admitted, "but you can help him, Mary. You're our only hope."

"What do you have to do with the entire situation?" she asked me, genuinely interested. I smiled slightly.

"Sam's my uncle." I replied. She looked at me in shock for a few seconds before bursting out with laughter.

"Really?" she said in between fits of giggles, "That's a strange thought! Does that mean that Peter...?" I nodded.

"Yes." I confirmed,"Peter's my Dad."

"That's weird, isn't it?" she mused, "I mean… wow!" I smiled at her reaction, Mary was taking it easier than I expected.

"I know. But that's where you come in, Mary." She looked at me expectantly. "You have to move back up here to the country."

"Why?" she asked, studying me carefully.

"Because I need you to help things go according to plan." I explained, "Me being here in itself could alter the future drastically."

"Like what?"

"My parents." I said, "My mother, Helen, meets Peter on the first day of high school. They have their first kiss after one of the dances, and they get married on the 12th of March, 1992. Nine months later, they have me." I finished the sentence looking at her, "Things like this you need to ensure happen. You also need to stay up here for Sam's sake." Mary bit her lip.

"But… I live in London now." She reminded me, "Surely I couldn't keep an eye on them from there!" I sighed, knowing I'd hit a snag.

"Why did you leave in the first place?"

"Dad got another job offer," she said, "we're not very well off financially, so I knew we had to go. They did tell me that we could stay though; they knew how much Sam meant to me, as well as the countryside in general. But I couldn't let them do it, dad really wanted the job, after all." I looked out to the lake, my mind furiously at work.

We had come so close. I was prepared to do anything to make Mary move back to the country. _Anything_. But the circumstances were worse than I had thought.

I was angry and upset at the same time, but I knew I couldn't take it out on anybody. Especially not Mary; none of it was her fault, after all. But I had believed that everything would be so simple, that her parents would let her move back, no questions asked. That she would do as I say, and make everything that was supposed to happen, happen. But all of a sudden, everything had turned upside down. Life wasn't all rainbows and sparkles anymore.

"Kaity?" Mary asked, interrupting my thoughts, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I mumbled, although I was surprised to hear that my voice broke towards the end of the sentence. I realized with shock that I had a few lone tears rolling down my cheeks, and that my throat seemed closed in. I was crying.

Mary moved closer to me, embracing me with a hug. "I'm sorry…" she mumbled, "I really am."

"It's not your fault." I sniffed, "It really isn't. I… I had just hoped that everything would go smoothly after everything, ya know? Things have been really bumpy lately, trust me."

"It would be, with your back and all." She admitted, letting go of me. I smiled slightly.

Oh my… Mary didn't know the half of it.

"I guess." I replied, really not seeing the point in explaining everything to her. We were both silent.

"What happens now?" she questioned after a while. I shrugged.

"I have no idea." I admitted, "I used up the last of my brain power thinking of how to tell you I was from the future, so that was a waste." Mary giggled.

"I probably wouldn't have believed you if I hadn't of had the dream." She pointed out.

"Probably not." I sighed, wondering how to get out of the hole I was stuck in. I suddenly had a brainwave. "What does your dad work as?" I questioned casually.

"A builder." She replied, "But there weren't a lot of things that needed building here, that's why he was transferred to London. His boss is really strict; he doesn't realize just how hard dad works." I nodded.

"That's a shame…" I mused, my mind already kicking into action, forming plans. Mary's eyes narrowed.

"What are you planning?" she asked suspiciously. I looked at her, wide eyed.

"Nothing." I said innocently, "But could you answer this one question? If your dad got a better job here, would you want to leave London behind and come back?" I held my breath, waiting for her answer.

"Yes." She replied, quickly but firmly, "London's nice, but it will never be my home true home." I smiled.

"Alrighty, then!" I said cheerfully, quickly wiping away my tears, "We'd best get going, I reckon Remi's checkup is almost done." Mary nodded in agreement.

"Alright, but first," she began, "Can I ask _you_ a question, Kaity? In the future... am..." She stopped there, mustering up the courage to say the next part, "am I your aunt?" Time seemed to freeze as she awaited my answer. I gave a half smile.

"You could be, Mary."

* * *

We reached Flora and Sam, who were in a deep conversation.

"Kaity!" Flora exclaimed, standing up, "I'm going to move to the country when I'm older, seriously. It sounds great!" Sam chuckled, and Mary pulled him to his feet.

"What did you say to her?" she demanded playfully.

"Not much, I just told her how great it was here." He said, "No harm in the truth!"

"Mary, Sam!" George called, coming out of the inn, "We'd best be heading off, I have another appointment."

"Sure, dad." Sam said. He smiled at Flora and I, "Nice to see you both, we should meet up once more before you return to London."

"Hopefully!" I said brightly, "Good bye, Sam, Mary." Mary gave me a secret smile as she departed, hand in hand with Sam.

I watched them go, suddenly feeling a lot better about the situation. My mind was still busy at work, making plans so that everything would fit nicely into place. I smiled at Flora.

"That was easy!"

"What happened?" Flora asked, "Did she believe you?" I nodded.

"I'll explain more once they've left for good." I promised, looking inside the inn. George was still packing away his belongings. After a few more minutes, they were gone.

Flora and I made out way into the inside. I was unable to keep the smile off my face.

"Somebody looks happy!" Hershel commented when he saw me.

"I've told Mary everything." I announced. Remi looked at me like I was crazy, and Luke had the exact same expression Flora had had earlier on, just as I'd said what I was going to do. The Professor's face didn't change, although I saw a slight smile appearing on his lips. "And now, I have a plan."

* * *

**One of Kaity's plans? Kill me now... ****No, I'm kidding. It's actually not that bad, depending on where you look at it from. I like it, anyway, but then again I AM the author.**

**Believe it or not, but that story is actually fairly close to being finished. I know, it's a weird thought. This is the longest story I've ever written, the word count is currently 51,000 words for roughly four months :) But then again, that includes authors notes, which kinda take up a lot of words. I tend to make them long :P My aim was to get it finished by the end of the holidays, but that didn't work. I probably could have if I didn't go on camp, have the hiatus, or go interstate. That kinda used up a month of writing :/**

**I go back to school tomorrow D: HOLY CRAP I'LL BE IN YEAR NINE! Wish me luck~!**


	26. The Plan, part 1

I wasn't entirely sure if this was the best course of action.

As I walked along the footpath with Flora, the sky becoming darker each minute, I began to doubt myself. Was this really going to work? Was it worth the risk? My heart rate began to increase, and I felt my palms become all sweaty. I dug my fingernails into them, trying to distract myself from the continuation thoughts that were flowing through my mind.

"Relax, Kaity." Flora murmured, her voice strong. I nodded, squeezing my eyes shut.

This hadn't turned out how I'd wanted it to turn out. I was meant to be in Flora's position, after all. I'd told the Professor that. But she had insisted, saying that she'd otherwise be of no use to the plan.

I concentrated on my breathing, taking deep breathes in and out. It was working, and I felt myself instantly feeling relieved. Everything would work out… it had to.

"Thanks, Flora." I mused, opening my eyes. I was surprised at how calm she was about the whole situation, really. She seemed more determined than ever to make the plan work, and I found myself looking up to her. She smiled.

"It's fine." She assured me, "Are you ready?"

Ready? Of course I wasn't. But it was now or never, we both knew that. I wasn't the only one uneasy about the whole thing; I could tell the Professor was having second thoughts about it as well.

"Yes." I whispered, nodding slightly. She smiled.

"Kaity, I'll meet you back at the inn. There's something I've got to check." She announced. I nodded again.

"Sure." I replied, the words getting stuck in my throat halfway through. I took a deep breath, trying again. "I'll see you later, then." Ignoring every instinct, every voice in my head telling me to stay put where I was, I turned around and made my way up the path, trying to walk casually.

_Not too fast, not too slow… _Sarah's voice rang through my mind. I'd heard it enough times during the wedding rehearsal to know that she meant what she said. I thought the sentence over and over again while my feet continued their familiar pattern; left, right, left, right.

I came back to reality when I saw the inn. I made my way inside, shutting the door carefully behind me. I turned around, only to meet the Professor's worried gaze. My panic took over once again.

"Is she alright?" he asked in a rushed voice. I nodded.

"Last time I checked."

"Remi left a few minutes after you and Flora." Luke piped up, somewhat cheerfully, "I reckon she would have reached the place by now." I nodded, my throat dry.

Now all we had to do was wait.

* * *

As the time passed, I became more anxious.

It was one thing putting myself in danger, but putting my best friend into it was a whole different situation entirely. It was completely pitch black outside, and it had begun raining heavily. I thought of Flora, probably drenched by now.

What if she got sick? Or even worse, if Remi wasn't fast enough? What if the plan failed?

I groaned, putting my head in my hands. Why? Why had I thought this was a good idea in the first place? Stupid, stupid Kaity.

"Are you alright, my dear?" the Professor asked, sitting next to me. I smiled weakly.

"I shouldn't have done this…" I mused, "what type of a friend am I?" He shook his head.

"Kaity, deep breathes." He said, "None of this is your fault. If the plan doesn't work, it doesn't work, full stop. But if it does, then it I will take my hat off to you." I giggled.

"Literally?" I teased. He looked at me with an expression of shock.

"Of course not!" he said in mock horror, "A true gentleman must NEVER be seen without his hat." Out the corner of my eye I say Luke jump with excitement.

"Professor!" he exclaimed, "I think I see somebody!" Hershel and I exchanged hopeful glances before rushing to the window that Luke was looking out of.

At first, I couldn't see anything. I peered into the darkness, hoping to see Flora's happy face, or Remi's strong gaze, but all I saw was… well, nothing really. Suddenly, a lightning strike illuminated the scene, and for just a second, everything was clear.

Not far off in the distance, I saw the silt house of some figures. They were bunched together (perhaps in an effort to stay warm), so I couldn't tell if there were two or three of them. Or perhaps it was just one person, bundled in many different blankets. Whoever it was, they were heading towards the inn quickly.

"Do you think it's them?" I whispered, more to the Professor than Luke. He furrowed his brow for a second, and a look of concentration passed over his face.

"It could be." he admitted, "Whoever it is, we should offer them a place to stay for the night, don't you think? I'd imagine they'd need some warming up, this rain is quite heavy." I nodded, continuing to look outside.

Faster than expected, there was an urgent knock on the door. Professor Layton stood up quickly, striding over to the door. He opened it, and almost instantly sighed with relief.

"Let us in, won't you Professor?" a familiar voice grunted, "We're absolutely soaked!" To my joy, Remi and Flora entered the room, a huge bundle of blankets in their arms. I jumped up, hugging Flora tightly.

"Are you both alright?" I asked frantically, looking back and forth between them. They laughed.

"We're fine, Kaity." Remi promised, "Apart from being cold, that is." I quickly went to a nearby cupboard, returning with two towels.

"Th-thanks." Flora said gratefully, teeth chattering. She wrapped it around her, sighing with relief. I suddenly remembered the plan.

"Did it work?" I asked them both. Remi gave a weak smile.

"Ask him." She said, pointing to something. I looked at it, and realized for the first time what it was.

What I had originally thought was a bundle of blankets was really… a bundle of blankets. What I _hadn't_ noticed was the figure resting in them. He looked like he was sleeping, or perhaps he was unconscious.

Don Paolo.

"It worked…" I breathed, unable to believe it. Flora giggled.

"You seem in shock!" she joked, "Did you really have that little faith in me?" I shook my head.

"No." I assured her, "I didn't believe in my plan-making skills. I mean, it _was_ risky, you have to admit." Remi nodded.

"Yes, using Flora as bait to get Paolo to come out of hiding was a little far-fetched." She admitted, "However, it worked nonetheless. I was able to knock him out just before he drugged her." I smiled, relief flowing over me, "Then the rain came, of course, so we had to take shelter in a shed for a while. Thankfully there were some old blankets there, we would have frozen otherwise."

"Now what?" Flora questioned.

"Simple, my dear." The Professor replied, "All we have to do is wait until he wakes up. When he does, we will tell him what he has to do. He will help us, unless of course, he doesn't mind being turned in to the police." Flora smiled weakly, but she continued to shiver. The Professor noticed this. "Flora, Remi, you both had better get changed into something warmer. You look fatigued, you should get some rest. You too, Luke. Kaity and I can stay up and watch Paolo." I was tired, but I knew Remi and Flora had endured worse than me. Luke had no excuse, but then again he was a lot younger. I smiled at Hershel.

"Sure." I said, trying to suppress a yawn.

* * *

The night continued on, and I was getting more tired by the minute. The Professor and I had carefully removed all of Don Paolo's weapons, as well as anything else that looked suspicious (which was everything). Now it was just a matter of waiting until he awoke.

It was hard to stay alert, and once or twice I found myself drifting off. I was worried that the Professor had noticed, but he never said anything about it. He was too polite to do something like that.

"You can get some rest if you wish, Kaity." He said eventually. I smiled, shaking my head in disagreement, as well as an attempt to wake myself up.

"I'm awake…" I slurred, my voice weak. He chuckled.

"Yes, and Remi's a chicken." He said in disbelief. I was about to retort, but a loud groaning noise was heard. I looked down at where Don Paolo was lying (nobody had really bothered moving him from where he had been dumped originally) and suddenly felt wired.

He slowly sat up, rubbing his head and muttering intelligible things. Eventually he opened his eyes, and they widened in shock when he saw the Professor and I. He cursed loudly, running to one of the doors and tried to open it. It was locked.

"Blast!" he exclaimed. I couldn't help laughing as I pulled the keys out of my pocket.

"Looking for these?" I taunted, jingling them in the air. He glared at me.

"Give them here, you little brat! Or I'll…" he hissed, searching his pockets. He went pale when he realized they were empty.

"Yes?" I asked, deciding to mock him a bit, "You'll do what? Throw a chair at me?" He growled.

"Don't test me." He warned. I rolled my eyes, holding up the keys once again.

"Or… what?" I asked, unable to keep the smile off my face. The Professor sighed.

"Kaity, stop teasing him." He said softly. I coughed.

"In case you'd forgotten, Professor," I said in a matter of fact tone, "this _is _the guy who kept us locked in a cell in some hidden lair that was in a mountain. He is also the guy that tried to shut down St Mystere, just for money, and the guy who almost caused you and Luke to fall off a cliff!" **(whoa… making Kaity say all that makes me realize just how much I've written for this story! It's my pride and joy ^_^)**

"I know, dear." He replied, casting the evil genius a glance, "But sometimes we have to forgive and forget. After all, that's what a gentleman does." I rolled my eyes.

"Technically, I'm not a gentleman." I pointed out, however I left it there. Don Paolo looked at us both, backing away uneasily.

"Why am I here?" he inquired.

"I believe you owe us a few favors, Paolo." Hershel replied. He glared at the Professor.

"I don't owe you anything." He said in an ice cold voice. I shivered; it gave me the creeps. To my surprise, the Professor nodded.

"It's your call." He admitted, "However I'm sure you wouldn't want the Scotland Yard to get involved, would you? It seems you're a fairly wanted criminal these days." Don Paolo laughed.

"You wouldn't." he said in disbelief. The Professor held him in a steady gaze, and his smirk quickly disappeared, "So this is what it's come down to, eh? _Blackmail_?"

"It would be wrong of me to disobey the law, wouldn't it? Although… I suppose I could make an exception…" the Professor said mysteriously, trailing off. Don Paolo huffed.

"What do you want?" he snapped. Hershel smiled, gesturing to me.

"You're a master of disguise, Paolo." I began, "You're going to make a mask of Mary's father's boss. You will then call her parents, imitating his voice, and ask if they would come in for a meeting. Once they do, you will offer Mr Belliting his old job back, with an added pay rise. While you're doing that, the rest of us, minus Remi who will be keeping an eye on you, will sneak some new plans for buildings into the filing system, as well as assign the jobs to Mary's father. After that, you're free." He was silent for a few moments, face twisted in a strange expression.

"Who the hell are you talking about!" he exclaimed eventually, "I have no idea who this 'Mary' is, or her father, or her father's boss!"

"We'll make sure you _do_ know by the time we begin the plan." Professor Layton assured him.

"You're little plan has too many holes in it!" I shrugged.

"Seems to be working so far." I said simply.

"Do you really think you'll just be able to sneak into the building's filing system unnoticed?" he asked, a hint of smugness in his voice, "And where will the real boss be in the middle of all this? He will have no memory of offering the man his old job back!" I stayed silent, realizing that I had made a vital mistake.

"Aw, shoot." I muttered. How could I have forgotten about that?

"Not to worry, Kaity." The Professor said cheerfully, "I'm sure our friend here would have some sort of idea!" Don Paolo glared at him, then sighed.

"I… do have a drug that could work." He said gruffly, "It makes fake memories, although they're not too good of quality. It's much easier to resurrect thoughts than create new ones."

"Yes, that hallucination drug certainly was believable." The Professor piped up, "However I think creating new memories would serve better in this situation, don't you, Kaity?"

"Indeed." I replied. Paolo groaned.

"Fine." He snapped, "I'll do it. But after that, I'm leaving." I smiled.

"Of course!" I said politely, "We wouldn't want to keep you around longer, anyway." I saw the Professor smile slightly while Don Paolo sneered.

"Hold your tongue, brat." He threatened, I sighed, leaning back in my chair.

"Karma really sucks, doesn't it Paolo?" I said in a sing-song voice, "Oh, how the tables have turned…"

* * *

**I just _had_ to make Kaity mock Don Paolo (is it weird that I keep on almost calling him Descole?). It was so much fun to write, believe me XD So, do you like the plan? It's a little far-fetched, but then again my whole story is :P**

**Remember, competition is still running, blah blah blah. I've only had one submission, guys, it's up to you to change that!**

**If you liked the chapter, I would appreciate a review! If you didn't, I would still like one, saying how I could improve. Man I am such a leech for reviews, not good :/ But yeah, I only got one for the last chapter, lets see if we can double it this time! Lol.**


	27. The Plan, Part 2

"You're sure this works, Paolo?" I said, examining the needle in front of me. It contained a strange silvery colored liquid, and just looking at it made me feel sick. He sighed, putting the mask of the boss on.

"I've already told you yes!" he snapped, "The quality of the memories aren't the best, but they should be believable enough."

"Should be…" I muttered, still unsure. We were, after all, trusting a madman. He huffed, turning back to me. For a split second, I thought that he had gone and that somebody else (in this case the boss) had taken his place. The mask had turned him into a completely different person.

"It's simple." He told me, still speaking in his own voice, "Have you ever heard the rumor that if you whisper something to somebody while they're asleep, they'll dream about what you said to them?" I nodded.

"It doesn't work though." I commented. I didn't add in the part that Flora and I had tried it one night on Luke, with rather disappointing results. Paolo thought for a second.

"I beg to differ." He said, "If the human mind is in a relaxed, yet aware state while sleeping, then it is possible to make people dream the things you want. I have managed to take this a step further." The six of us (myself, the Professor, Flora, Remi, Luke and Paolo) all turned to where the boss, the real boss, mind you, was lying unconscious. Part of me felt a stab of pity for him; he didn't deserve any of it. The other part of me knew that we had to do it, for both my uncle's and my own sake.

I watched as Paolo examined him carefully, "You see, when you have a dream, you wake up and know that it was nothing more than that; a dream. However, forcing the brain into the state that I am about to will cause it to panic, taking in the information harder than it should. If you make your story believable enough, then everything should work out fine. Once the person awakes from there little trance, they should be able to remember everything easy enough, and think of it as an actual memory rather than something that's fake." I whistled.

"I've gotta hand it to you," I said with a hint of admiration in my voice, "that's pretty awesome."

"Right, everybody." The Professor announced, "If we want this to work then we have to stick to the plan, alright? Remi, keep close to Paolo." I saw him make a face when the Professor said that, but he made no objections, "Flora and Kaity will come with me to find the filing system, and Luke…" He paused, probably realizing that he hadn't assigned the young boy to any position yet, "you can be our distraction."

"Distraction?" Luke asked in wonder, "What do I do?"

"Just make sure no employees follow us." Hershel explained, "If you have to, start crying or make a scene for no reason."

"That won't be hard…" I murmured. Luckily nobody heard.

"Sounds fine, Professor." Remi said happily, "We'd best start everything." I nodded, turning to Paolo.

"So I just inject it and tell him what I want him to believe?" I confirmed. He nodded.

"Yes" he promised, "And don't worry, he won't wake up for a few hours. You'd best lock the door, he has a key so he'll be able to get out. Don't forget to add some explanation as to why he's lying on the ground as well."

"Sounds simple enough." I carefully put the needle the small satchel I was carrying. It also contained a few strange sphere-shaped objects (which Paolo had claimed were smoke bombs, purely if we wanted a dramatic exit) and some small pins that he said made people's minds go fuzzy. To be honest, I was dying to test all these things out, however I knew we should only use them if necessary. There were also the fake building plans, our key item.

We all looked around carefully before entering one of the back doors, the boss being supported between Professor Layton and I. Paolo was about to follow, but Remi pulled him back.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, "We're entering through the main doors, you're the boss after all."

"Who are you, then?" he sneered, pulling away from her grasp. She smiled sweetly.

"I'm your assistant, Tina." She replied. That was the last thing I heard before the Professor closed the door.

* * *

"Eek!" Flora yelped as we were plunged into darkness, "Can somebody turn on the lights?" I heard Luke stumble around, searching for a switch. He found one eventually, and the room was illuminated as he pressed it. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the light, and looked around.

It was a small room, with a few unopened boxes scattered here and there. It was rather dull, but what did that matter? It was just what we needed.

"Rest him on the ground, Kaity." The Professor requested, "After that we'll try out and see if this drug will work." We carefully lowered the boss down to the floor. I sighed, opening my satchel and taking out the needle. While doing so my hand came in contact with one of the pins.

The little prick barely hurt, but the aftermath was terrible. I felt a strange high pitched buzzing noise fill my ears, and the world around me seemed to be fuzzy. I shook my head, trying to get out of the trance, but it didn't work. I couldn't seem to think straight, either, my thoughts were scattered all over the place.

"Kaity?" a distant voice called. I tried to concentrate on it, but it seemed an impossible task. It was only when I received a sharp slap to the face that I came back to Earth.

I looked up in shook, realizing that I had fallen to the ground. I blinked a few times as my surroundings came back to me. The first thing I saw was Flora.

"What happened?" she asked, concerned, "Did that voice… did it speak to you again or something?" I shook my head, brushing my hair back with my hand.

"No…" I murmured, "I accidentally touched one of those pins Don Paolo gave to us." She sighed with relief.

"Well, it seems that they work then." The Professor told us, "You were in a bit of a trance. What was it like?" I shook my head, again trying to get rid of the remaining fuzziness.

"You can't think straight at all." I answered after thinking for a bit, "Nothing makes sense."

"Try to avoid them in future." Hershel suggested, "Have you got the needle?" I nodded, looking through the bag again (this time making sure I didn't accidentally come in contact with any pins). I withdrew it, handing it to the Professor.

I didn't watch as he injected the needle; I felt a little sick and it probably would have further disturbed me. I tried not to listen as he told the boss the fake story, either. I just wanted to lie down and sleep, to be honest. A thought occurred to me.

"Flora?" I whispered, hoping it wouldn't affect the fake memories, "Who slapped me?" She looked down, a blush creeping on her face.

"That was me." She admitted, "It was the only thing I could think of. Sorry." I shook my head.

"It's fine. It got me out of my little world, after all." I turned my head to Luke, who was watching the Professor in awe.

Time passed, and the Professor ended his story with 'You came into this room, then tripped and found yourself in a daze." He stood up carefully, trying not to make any excess noise. He motioned for us to open another door, and we all crept out.

"Well, that was easier than expected." Professor Layton admitted, "Are you feeling better now, Kaity?" I nodded, forcing a smile.

"What now?" Luke asked. We all turned to Hershel, he seemed to have everything worked out.

"Luke, you're going to stay in the main hall, which should be to our left." He explained, "Just try to keep the secretary distracted so she won't see us." Luke nodded.

"Yes, Professor!" he said determinedly, "This should be easy enough for the apprentice of the great Professor Layton!"

"I'm sure you'll do well." The Professor said warmly. "Let's start right away, the sooner we finish the better. We mustn't dawdle." Luke nodded and entered the main hall. Cautiously, he approached the secretary.

I saw the two talk, and Luke even managed to make a few tears appear in his eyes, which soon turned into him crying. The receptionist looked at him with pity before kneeling down to his height and talking to him softly. The Professor nudged me.

"Now's our chance." He murmured, opening the door silently. We all crept in, looked around as we did. I saw a door with the words, 'Staff only' written on it; it sounded like the one we needed.

"Don't worry, Lucas." The receptionist said kindly, "I'm sure we'll find your mummy and daddy soon."

"Th-thank you." Luke sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. I had to hand it to him; he was a pretty good actor.

"This way!" I mouthed to the others. They followed suit, but unfortunately just at that point, the receptionist looked up.

"Sorry to bother you," she said sincerely, "but have you seen this poor boy's parents? They seemed to have disappeared." I had to stop myself from smiling; she was oblivious to everything that was really happening.

"I can't say I have…" the Professor said regretfully, "have you checked outside?" She gave a look of guilt.

"I would if I could, sir, but I'm supposed to be working. If the boss saw me outside, he'd think I was slacking off, and that would be the end of my job right there! Speaking of which…" she said, eyes narrowing slightly, "can I help you with anything?" I bit my lip, none of us had expected that.

"Yes." Flora said in a firm voice, approaching the desk, "I was wondering if I was able to book a time for work experience? Building interests me quite a bit, you see." The receptionist looked surprised.

"Is that so?" she asked, making her way behind the desk, "What are you planning to do when you leave school?" Flora thought for a few seconds.

"Well, that's just it, you see. I want to do something that involves building, but I'm a bit unsure as to what position would suit me best." she replied, "So I would like to experience it all first hand to help me make up my mind." She quickly glanced back at the Professor and I, and we took the hint. Quickly but quietly, we slipped through the door and into a corridor.

"Well, now we've lost Flora." I said in an annoyed voice, "She was excited about this, too…"

"She took one for the team." The Professor pointed out, "We'll make sure to thank her once we're done." I nodded, looking around. We were in a deserted corridor, with many doors surrounding us. They didn't have labels, so now it was simply a process of elimination.

I tried the first door. It was unlocked, and with no resistance it swung open. We found ourselves looking at a room, full of employees. They were in the middle of a meeting, and all eyes were on the Professor and I.

"Oh, I'm dreadfully sorry!" the Professor said, a hint of surprise in his voice, "I seemed to have reached the wrong room! My mistake, I'll leave now." With that, he shut the door.

"Nicely done, Professor." I commented, "You're good at thinking fast." He winked.

"A true gentleman must always be ready for the unexpected." He replied, "Thinking on your feet is something you pick up over time." We continued on through the passageway, and eventually we came to another door.

"Remember to knock, first." I joked. He smiled slightly, doing as he was told. There was no reply.

He tried again, just to be sure, but it gave the same results as the first time. Cautiously, we opened it, and I found that we were presented with a room, completely filled with filling cabinets.

Bingo.

"Looks like we've found the right room this time." The Professor said brightly, heading over to one of them. He opened the drawer and flicked through the files, soon after closing it again. "This could be trickier than I thought…" he murmured, heading to the one next to it.

"What do you mean?" I asked, opening one close by me.

"We need to find the filing cabinet that is most up to date with the building plans." He explained, shutting the drawer once more, "Not all of these contain building plans, some are contracts and whatnot." I nodded, mentally slapping myself for not realizing it earlier.

"You make me feel stupid, Professor."

* * *

We both searched through the files. It was a long, dreary task, and I crossed my fingers that nobody would catch us. As I looked through the cabinets, my mind had some time to think. And eventually a question struck me.

"Professor? Can I ask you something?" I inquired.

"But of course."

"Why are we doing this?" I asked. He froze, turning to me with a look of confusion on his face.

"I'm not sure I understand." He admitted. I sighed.

"I mean, theoretically I could just tell Mary to keep an eye on Sam and make sure he doesn't marry Sarah later on in life, couldn't I?" He shook his head.

"But, that would put your life at ri-"

"Exactly my point." I interrupted, "Why are we going through so much trouble to save both Sam and my lives, when all we really need to do is save Sam's?" He looked at me, shaking his head.

"Kaity," he began, "I don't see why-"

"Just, listen!" I ordered. He was about to protest, but he shut his mouth at the last minute. I sighed. "If I don't get back to the future, it won't matter. Sam will still be safe, and my parents… perhaps they would still be alive, if things changed just that little bit." I stopped my outburst, slumping to the ground.

Why hadn't I thought about it all before?

"Kaity, what you're implying would only cause a paradox." Hershel said quickly, probably in hope that I wouldn't interrupt him. I looked up.

"A what?"

"A paradox." He repeated, "Look, say you _didn't_ make it back to the future; you would have never been born. But if you were never born, you wouldn't have been able to travel back in time, and none of this would have happened. But if none of this happened, then you _would_ have been born, and as a result, you would have travelled back in time. It's a never ending cycle of nonsense; it's very hard to wrap your head around." I listened to the Professor logic, and realized that he was right.

Sort of. The whole paradox thing was blowing up my mind.

"Whoa…" was all I was able to say. He smiled slightly.

"No point sitting there!" he said cheerfully, "Come, dear. Let's continue looking through these files, shall we?"

"Sure thing!" I said, instantly feeling better. I opened another filing cabinet, my thoughts thinking of other paradoxes. "Professor, what came first, the chicken or the egg?" I asked, unable to hide my smile. He sighed.

"Am I going to regret teaching you about paradoxes?" he questioned. I smiled.

"Probably." I looked back down at the files, reading the first one. My excitement immediately increased, "Professor, I found it!" I exclaimed. He came to my side, taking out one of the files and flicking through it.

"Quite right, my dear. Well done!" he praised, "Quickly, slip the building plans into the file." I reached into my satchel and took out the fake plans. The plans that would secure both my uncle's future.

I kissed the outside of them before slipping them into the filing cabinet. "You better not go missing any time soon." I muttered to nobody in particular.

"Come, Kaity. We'd best gather the others and leave." The Professor announced. Before I could reply, I heard the door open behind us. We both spun around quickly, looking at the person who entered.

It was a man. He had dark brown hair and he was wearing the uniform I had seen the other builders wearing. He had an uneasy presence about him, and I immediately didn't trust him. He examined us, his eyes narrowing.

"What do you think you're doing?"

* * *

**Cliffy! XD Gotta love em! Just so you know, I made up all that crap about how Paolo's drugs work, I had to make it sound mildly believable. Did it work?**

**Sorry for da slow update, didn't even feel like writing stuff tonight. Some idiot made my self esteem hit an all-time low :/ More info on DA, basically I'm a bit shaken about the whole thing. I'll survive though, I don't go down without a fight ;)**

**Any typos? You know what to do :)**


	28. The Plan, Part 3

**Thank you for all the reviews last chapter guys :)**** And I'm so so so so so sorry for the slow update, last weekend I was really sick and I didn't have time during the week to write either (stupid school). And on top of all that I had TERRIBLE writer's block, I seriously had no idea what to do next.**

**But here I am, making excuses for myself, when all you want to do is read the chapter. I apologize, I'll leave now… *shuffles away awkwardly***

* * *

I stood there, completely frozen. My mind immediately went numb, and for those few seconds I thought that I'd touched one of those little pins again.

We'd been caught.

The man, whoever he was, stood tall. He seemed genuinely angry that we were in the files system, more so that we were looking into one of the cabinets. He surveyed us both, waiting for some form of explanation.

"I'm not sure I understand." Professor Layton said clearly. The man turned his gaze to him, taking in his appearance.

"Who might you be?" he questioned.

"The answer is in the question itself." The Professor said mysteriously. The worker's face clouded over, and I could tell he was confused.

"What?" he asked bluntly.

"Why are _you_ here? That would be the better question." Hershel continued, "I suppose you've been working hard lately, yes?" The worker nodded.

"I-I suppose so." He admitted, "Although I really don't see how that affects anything."

"Don't worry about it." Hershel assured him, "Really, everything's fine. We will take our leave, now." He extended his hand out to me, and I gave him the bag, wondering what was going to happen next. He smiled, strolling confidently past the builder, who was still trying to understand the meaning of the Professor's words. I followed suit, quite puzzled myself.

The next part happened fast, so fast that it took a few moments for me to register. As the Professor passed the man, he swiftly took out one of the pins and brushed it lightly against the worker's skin. Almost immediately his face stiffened, and the light seemed to fade from his eyes. He became completely still, so still that it made me worry.

"Is he…?" I asked, turning to the Professor. He shook his head.

"He'll be fine; he looks just like you did when one of the pins came in contact with you." He assured me. I looked at the man.

"I was like _that_?" I said in disbelief. The Professor nodded, taking my arm and pulling me out of the room. We walked quickly through the corridors, trying to keep a close eye out for any workers. Luckily for us, we didn't run into any.

"What was all that nonsense before!" I burst out eventually, just as we reached the ending door.

"Think about it, Kaity." The Professor said, almost as if the answer was obvious, "Do you really think the worker would just let something sensible slide? I had to make him believe that he had imagined the whole thing."

"Oh…" I mused, the whole situation suddenly making a lot more sense than it had initially.

"We must meet up with the others, and quickly." The Professor added briskly, "As soon as Paolo's finished the interview, we're getting out of here." I nodded in agreement; we couldn't risk another situation like that. Even though the Professor had handled it with ease, we might not be as lucky next time around.

Hershel opened the door, carefully stepping out into the main hall. I followed suit, looking around me anxiously. The sight I met surprised me.

It was completely deserted.

"What the…?" I began, trailing off. I was unable to believe it. There was absolutely nobody; not the receptionist waiting behind the desk, nor the happy faces of Luke and Flora.

"How peculiar…" the Professor murmured as he moved forward and picked up an object. I had a strange feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach as I looked at the item. It was a burgundy color, and it seemed to shine from the light coming through an open window. It was also very long, and I recognized what it was almost instantly.

Flora's hair ribbon.

"She wouldn't have just left it here." I said, shaking my head. As strange as it sounded, Flora was quite attached to her hair ribbon. I couldn't recall one time when I'd seen her without it.

"No, she wouldn't have." the Professor agreed, "It looks like it's been completely ripped off, doesn't it?" I looked back at the ribbon, and noticed that it wasn't in its familiar bow shape, but undone. The edges were also slightly frayed, and towards the middle of it there was an indent, almost as if somebody had attempted to pierce it with something sharp.

The sound of a door opening brought me and Professor Layton out of our trances. We both turned to look at who'd entered, and realized it was none other than the receptionist. She looked faintly surprised to see us there.

"Oh, I'm dreadfully sorry!" she said, hurrying back to her desk, "Have you been here long? I was just getting some fresh air, it's rather stuffy in here, wouldn't you agree?" The Professor nodded.

"Yes, quite." He said blankly, "Now I'm sorry to disturb you, but would you know where my daughter went? The girl you were talking to earlier about work experience, that is." The receptionist shook her head, tapping her long nails against her desk.

"I'm afraid I don't know where she could have gone." She said guiltily, "Oh dear, I hope she hasn't gotten herself lost!" My heart accelerated when she said that.

Just where was Flora?

"I see…" Hershel said. I could see he was anxious to ask about Luke as well, but how could he say it without it seeming suspicious? I suddenly had an idea.

"What about the young boy that came in earlier?" I asked casually, "Did you manage to locate his parents?" For a moment she looked confused, but she soon smiled again.

"Oh yes." She replied happily, "Two worried people came in soon after you left and lead the boy out."

I felt a cold rush go through me, and I looked at the Professor's expression. For some reason, I expected him to be calm and relaxed, like he usually was. But in this particular situation it wasn't so. His face was one of shock, and his jaw hung open slightly. His eyes widened for just a few seconds.

"His… parents?" he managed to stammer out. The receptionist nodded.

"Yes. His parents." She said, eyes narrowing, "Is there a problem, sir?"

"No, of course not." I cut in before the Professor could speak, "We'll be leaving now, thank you for your help." I literally had to push the Professor a few times before his legs began to work once more. Very shakily, he made his way out the door and into the courtyard. I lead him to a bench, and we both sat down. He instantly put his head in his hands, a task I would have thought impossible because of the top hat. For a while we both stayed how we were. No sound was heard from either of us.

* * *

"Professor?" I asked eventually, deciding to be the one to break the silence. He looked up, but didn't respond. "We'll find them, you know." I said, trying to sound more certain then I felt. He nodded stiffly, gazing into the distance.

"What kind of a father am I?" he murmured, probably more to himself than me, "Letting them get lost like this?"

"It's not your fault." I pointed out, "Flora should be around here somewhere, and Luke… well… perhaps he knew the people? He wouldn't go away with somebody he didn't know, would he? He's smarter than that and you know it!" He was about to respond when another voice rang throughout the air.

"Kaity! Professor!"

I turned around and saw Remi making her way to us, clearly just coming from the building.

"Remi!" I said, unable to keep the happiness out of my voice, "How did the interview go?"

"Splendidly!" she answered, "The Belliting's decided to take up the job. What about you, did you manage to get the plans into the filing system?" I nodded, smiling broadly.

"Yes, we did."

"Great!" Remi said, casting a glance at the Professor, "Hershel, aren't you pleased?" I bit my lip.

"We don't know where Luke and Flora are." I explained in a rush. Remi's face darkened.

"Oh no…" she murmured. I nodded sadly.

"Apparently Luke's 'parents' came and picked him up. But as for Flora, we have no leads." The Professor put in.

"You should have come and found me earlier!" Remi said, "I've been just standing around for ages!"

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"The interview finished at least twenty minutes ago." She informed me, "It went faster than expected."

"Where's Don Paolo?" Professor Layton asked suddenly. Remi sighed.

"He bailed." She said simply, "As soon as the Belliting's left, he took off his disguise and informed me that we were even, and that it was his turn to leave. I didn't bother trying to stop him; he was right, after all. He did his job well."

"It seems he did." The Professor admitted, staring off into the distance again. I didn't have to ask him to know that he was in deep though about something. Remi seemed to get that impression as well, and we both fell silent.

I wondered what went on in the Professor's mind. Was it like some sort of super computer, constantly adding things together and making new connections? Or a beehive, so many different things going on at once that he barely even noticed? These thoughts intrigued me a great deal.

"Something doesn't add up." He said in a determined voice, "Actually, it's more than one thing that's bothering me." I listened politely, waiting for him to continue, however he didn't. I sighed, wondering if I would ever get used to his mysterious ways.

Remi didn't seem fussed by the whole affair. She simply smiled at the Professor. "I knew you'd work it out." she said kindly. He shook his head.

"I'd hardly call it, 'worked out'," he told her, "It's just a hunch." Remi's smile broadened.

"You're intuition never fails, Professor." She reminded him. He looked at her disapprovingly, but he didn't respond. Silently, we all made our way back into the building.

The receptionist looked up at us in surprise as we entered. "Oh! I thought you'd already left!"

"We had a few matters to attend to." The Professor said lightly, "The main one being the whereabouts of my daughter _and_ apprentice." Her smiled flickered slightly.

"You still haven't found her? My, what a pity!" she said. I suddenly got the impression that her sympathy was fake; an act, to be precise. "I _do_ hope she turns up soon! As for the boy, I already told you his parents arrived and took him home. Little Luke's safe now." The Professor shook his head.

"Quit the act." He said bluntly. Both Remi and I exchanged worried glances; the Professor had never spoken to somebody like that before. The receptionist blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"Stop hiding who you really are." He continued, "A lady should never lie, after all." The receptionist flinched.

"I'm going to call security." She said, "You're way out of line, here." Hershel shook his head.

"I don't think I am, to be honest." He said casually, "However, if you can answer these questions, I'll leave you alone." He paused for a moment, beginning to pace up and down. "Firstly, how did you know the young boy's name?"

"What do you mean?" the receptionist asked, taken aback. The Professor smiled.

"The young boy, Luke, told you just earlier that his name was 'Lucas', so why did you think he was Luke?" She smiled sweetly at him.

"Lucas… Luke… they're not that different, are they? I just assumed the young man didn't mind being called Luke." The Professor nodded.

"I suppose that's understandable." He admitted, "But you're not out of the woods yet. When myself and Kaity stepped into this room not long ago, it was deserted. You walked in, claiming to have been outside getting some fresh air. However, earlier you stated that you couldn't help search for Luke's parents because, 'your boss would think you were slacking off'… so how would you have had the courage to stay outside?"

"Well…" the receptionist stuttered, "I-"

"The only possible explanation is that you knew that the boss wasn't around to see you… or maybe you didn't know he would punish you for not doing your job?" The Professor interrupted, "But this isn't the only this that makes you the prime suspect." He put his hand in his pocket and gently withdrew Flora's hair ribbon, "This belongs to my daughter. As you can see, it hand some strange indents in it, almost as if somebody's gripped it tightly and ripped it off her. Your fingernails are quite long and sharp, I can tell by just looking at them from here. As a matter of fact, they would match the indents perfectly." The whole room was silent. The receptionist looked in shock, like she didn't quite know what to say.

"What are you accusing me of, Layton?" she hissed. I was shocked to hear a hint of somebody else in her voice, somebody I had heard before.

"How did you know my name?" the Professor inquired, "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. Or have we?" He stepped forward, determination in his eyes, "The jig is up… Don Paolo!"

* * *

**:D Oh how I love pointless drama… it's the best way to overcome writer's block. This chapter was SO much fun to write, really. Mainly that ending point, actually. But still, I had fun :)**

**Ok, this competition's been running for AGES now (you know, the renaming the story one) so it's time to wrap it up. I've had two entries, but there will be three options for those who like the current title. And here they are!**

**1. Kaity's Lost Future (submitted by ardx)**

**2. Saving Sam (submitted by ****rAwrxdiNo3) **

**3. Kaity's Lost Aunt (hm… I wonder who thought up this one :P)**

**Basically, you guys need to tell me which one you like best. The one which gets the most votes will be the new title (or old one in option three's case XD). Your opinion is appreciated, and remember; there's a prize for the winner ;)**


	29. Giving Up?

***Sigh*… sucks that I can only update once a week because of school… too much homework, not enough time :(**** But one of the head teachers is thinking about minimizing the load, which will be great :D Fingers crossed, that way I'd have more time to write!**

**Also, a shout out to my faithful reviewer Water Lily; I really hope your dad is alright, and if you need to talk about anything then I'll be here, ok? You should really get an account on ff or deviantART (if you haven't already got the latter).**

* * *

I looked back and forth between the Professor and the receptionist, unsure what to think. Don Paolo? Now that wasn't something that I had considered, although thinking over all the facts made it seem quite obvious.

Curse the Professor and this ability to tie things together!

The receptionist (or Don Paolo) had a stunned expression on their face for a few moments, but eventually it spread into the smirk we knew so well.

"Oh Layton…" they chanted in a sing song voice, "I didn't really think you'd figure it out all so soon! After all, I've managed to play several characters for days in a row before you'd figure me out… I'd say this is your new personal best!" I noticed that as she spoke, her voice became deeper and deeper, ending up at the point where it was exactly like the mad scientist's.

I watched, almost in awe, as she (or he) pulled of the mask swiftly, revealing the true face that sat beneath. With the mask came the clothes, revealing the familiar attire that he usually wore.

"I even tried to be more careful this time!" he said, his voice changing from fake sweetness to just plain nasty, "I paid attention to the little details, namely the nails." He examined them almost fondly before ripping off the gloves, "But in this case, it was them that gave me away, I suppose. I'll have to do better next time." The Professor nodded.

"You almost had me fooled." He admitted, "However, there were holes in the story you told. Strange contradictions that caught my attention. Now, please tell me where Luke and Flora are."

"You really expect me to tell you what I've done with the little brats?" Paolo hissed, "I didn't kidnap them for nothing, you know."

"_Really?_" I said sarcastically, "Who would have thought? A lot of your plans don't really end up having motives; I didn't see why this one was going to be any different." His eyes narrowed.

"Very funny." He spat. I laughed.

"Believe me, I wasn't trying to be humorous." He opened his mouth to retort, but the Professor cut in.

"Enough, both of you!" he said firmly, turning to Paolo again, "I'm warning you-"

"You don't pose as a threat to me! As a matter of fact, I'm surprised that I managed to get this far without being searched!"

"What do you mean?" Remi asked, speaking for the first time in a while. He smirked.

"Do you really think I would have supplied you with all those smoke bombs and such without getting a little something for myself?" he asked. I felt my stomach drop, and an awful feeling of pure dread washed over me.

How could we have been so short sighted? For some reason, beyond my thoughts, we'd completely blocked out the option of Don Paolo betraying us, with Remi watching him and all. But what did we think would happen after the interview? That he would simply… walk away?

We'd actually given him some form of _trust_.

"Two can play at that game." Remi pointed out, stepping forward boldly, "We have supplies of our own!"

"Don't make me laugh!" Paolo chortled loudly, "Did you really think that I would give you the highest quality of supplies possible?" He drew his hand back swiftly, and threw it forward at a much faster rate. For a split second I could have sworn I saw a shining objecst in the air, just before I felt a sharp pain in my arm.

* * *

The world around me began to spin, as I had experienced before. Yet again I just couldn't think straight, but this time it was a thousand times worse. The ringing in my ears was even more painful; it made me want to scream in agony. The wailing sounds continued on and on, seeming like it would have no end. I had no idea where I was, or who I was either. It was as if my brain had been taken out of my head, scattered about, then put back in.

Suddenly, I heard a voice. Actually, I wasn't entirely sure what exactly it was. All I knew was that it seemed to give me this message,

'Keep on fighting.'

And before I knew it, I found myself following the advice of the words. I used all of my will power to begin searching for my thoughts, slowing bringing them back to me one by one. The wailing sound in my ears continued on; however I tried my best to ignore it. I wasn't going to let anything beat me; not this time.

As my thoughts continued to collect, I began experimenting with movement, attempting to shift various parts of my body. Eventually I found my arm, and without further thought I dug my nails sharply into the palm of my hand.

The pain was enough to bring me out of my trance. My eyes shot open, and I looked around in surprise. My surrounds still seemed warped, and it reminded me of when I was a little kid, spinning round and round just to get this effect. However this time, I couldn't imagine anything worse. I stumbled to my feet, trying to make sense of the shapes around me.

I groaned, collapsing back down to my feet. I closed my eyes tightly, waiting impatiently for the spinning to stop. Once it did at last, I examined my surroundings once more, hoping for some more luck in recognizing them.

Next to me, there was Remi. Like the builder that the Professor and I luckily escaped earlier on, her face was rigid. Her eyes were opened wide, but they didn't seem to be working at all. If I didn't know better, then I would have thought she was dead.

I looked back around, trying to spot the Professor. He was close to the desk, slumped down lifelessly. Deciding to approach him first (knowing the method of waking him up wasn't pleasant), I reached him, kneeling down so I was at his height. Sighing, I quickly drew my hand to the side and gave him a quick, hard, slap.

He awoke instantly, spluttering and coughing violently. He looked at me, wide eyed.

"Kaity?" he asked in a strained voice. I nodded.

"Who else?"

"W-where… what…" he said, clearly still dazed, "Why are we here?" I frowned for a second.

Now that was a good question… why exactly _were_ we there? I closed my eyes, thinking back to anything I remembered.

My name was Kaity Fisher, I remembered that much. But what else was there to my life? I remembered one man… a kind man. Somebody who had taken me in when I had no other home. But what was _his_ name?

The answer to that came almost as quickly as I thought the question.

"Sam…" I murmured, memories flooding back to me. I locked eyes with the Professor, and we both realized exactly what was going on.

"The building plans!" I whispered in shock.

"Don Paolo…" he mused, coming back to his senses. I knew there was something else that was nagging at the back of my mind… something to do with the discarded hair ribbon barely arm's reach away.

"Luke and Flora!" we both exclaimed at the same time. He jumped to his feet, and I was surprised that he didn't stumble like I surely must have.

"Professor!" I called in shock, wondering where on Earth he was going.

"Stay here and wake up Remi." He ordered, barely turning to look at me, "I promise I'll be back soon!" I nodded somewhat helplessly, knowing that arguing wouldn't change his mind.

Though he was a gentleman, the Professor was also stubborn at times. And I knew that this was one of those times.

I did as I was told, making my way over to the unconscious pilot cautiously. I sat down silently, wondering how I was going to wake her. Somehow, slapping seemed… wrong. But did I have any other choice?

Sighing, I decided to get it over and done with.

"Sorry Remi." I said regretfully once it was over. She nodded, still dazed.

"Where's Luke and Flora?" she asked instantly, surprising me. How she had managed to remember everything that fast I didn't understand; it had taken me much longer to even remember my name.

"Hershel's looking for them now." I replied.

"We should help him…" she said in slow voice, almost as if she didn't fully understand the situation. I smiled softly.

"He told us to wait here." I said reasonably. She laughed, stumbling to her feet.

"Who cares what the Professor said!" she announced, voice stronger, "We need to find them, before something awful happens!" I hesitated slightly before nodding. Was Remi alright to walk in her condition? She didn't seem fully recovered yet.

Oh well, we'd have to wait and see.

With me assisting her, she made her way outside slowly. It was exactly the same as before; the green lawn, water fountain, bench and, a little way off, the Laytonmobile, parked underneath a tree. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Professor!" I called, hoping to catch sight of the man. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Don't worry, Kaity." Remi said in a comforting voice, "He's probably just looking elsewhere for them." I sighed.

"Where could they be?" I mused, continuing to scan the area. The sun was beginning to set now, however it shone along a grass nicely. And that's when I saw it, the sun reflecting off an object. I approached it, having the feeling that it had something to do with the case at hand.

I reached it, and carefully picked it up. To my disappointment, it wasn't anything unusual.

"What is it?" Remi asked, coming behind me, "Is it a clue?" I shook my head, holding up the item for her to see.

"It's the Professor's car keys." I replied, "He must have dropped them." Her face fell.

"Drat… doesn't seem like it will help us find Luke and Flora, does it? Oh well, at least we found them. That's a bonus, right?" I nodded.

"I suppose so."

"Remi! Kaity!" another voice called. We turned and found the professor advancing us, a worried expression set on his face.

"Professor! Did you find them?" Remi asked anxiously. He shook his head sadly.

"No, I didn't." he replied, "There's no sign of either of them… or Don Paolo." We were all silent, knowing that we were too late. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I thought of Flora. As strong as she had become over the last few months, she would still be scared now. My heart practically broke as I imagined Luke, who would probably be telling Don Paolo that the mighty Professor would rescue them soon enough, and then he'd have to pay for what he'd done.

But how could he rescue them if there were no clues?

We silently walked back to the Laytonmobile, and I got the strange feeling that the Professor had just… given up. He seemed like an empty shell, and to be honest I'm sure he felt like one too. As we opened the doors, I suddenly got hold of myself.

"Professor! Remi!" I announced loudly, causing them to jump, "We're not just giving up, are we? We've got to find them; I'm sure there's a clue somewhere, we just need to find it!" The Professor smiled at me softly, and I suddenly felt like a little kid again.

"Kaity," he said quietly, "the matter is no in our hands. As soon as we get back to the inn, we'll contact the Scotland Yard and explain the situation. That's all we _can_ do for now." I opened my mouth to reply, but Remi gave me a sharp glance, one that silenced me for the rest of the journey.

I couldn't believe it.

* * *

We arrived back at the inn in less time than I expected. To be honest, I wanted the car journey to last forever, that way we wouldn't have to face the cold, harsh reality when we got back to the inn and make the phone call. However, it did end, and I found myself suddenly so nervous.

"Kaity?" Remi asked kindly, "Could you please get the food out of the trunk? I packed some for today's lunch, but we never got round to eating it." I nodded, taking the keys off the Professor. As I was doing what I was told, the sight that met me was the shock of my life.

Curled up together, resting peacefully, were Luke and Flora!

"Professor! Remi!" I yelled in shock, "Come quick!" They both hurried to my side, gasping in shock when they saw what I was seeing.

"My word!" Hershel exclaimed, "How… how on Earth…?" I ignored him, bending down and shaking Flora. She awoke instantly, fearful showing on her face for a few seconds. But when she saw us all, she beamed in excitement.

"I'm so glad to see you all!" she said, bounding out of the trunk and embracing us in a hug. When Luke awoke, he did the same (except he only hugged the Professor). I laughed, relief washing through me.

There would be time for explanations later; right now I was just too thrilled to think properly.

* * *

**Sorry, short, poorly written chapter with a corny ending :/ Hope you can forgive me!**

**As for the competition, Saving Sam is currently in the lead by one vote! If you haven't already voted, then do so before the next chapter to voice your say XD Thanks!**

**~Clide (meh new nickname)**


	30. Leaving

**My God, when I was talking to one of my readers (you know who you are ;)) I realized just how close to finished this story is :/ My guess is about three more chapters before it's complete… wow. Working on it for so long (about five months) then having it drawn to a close… it's such a weird feeling. This is my longest story yet (obviously)! I wonder if I could get it to 100 reviews before I finish… lol jks. Like **_**that's**_** gonna happen :P**

* * *

The Professor handed me a cup of tea, which I accepted gratefully. The day had been full of twists and turns; to be frank I felt a little light-headed from it all. But I knew I wasn't the only one. Aside from Luke and Flora (who were jumping around like rabbits), everybody seemed quite worn out.

"Now," Remi started, motioning for everybody to sit down into the comfy chairs, "It would be a good idea to put this all together, wouldn't it?"

"I couldn't agree more." The Professor said, nodding in an understanding way, "Luke, Flora, what do you both remember?" Luke frowned for a few moments, clearly trying to recall what happened, but Flora jumped straight into it, almost as if she'd had it planned out.

"I was talking to that receptionist about the work experience." She began, "But there was a big commotion of some sort outside; I saw smoke, so I thought it was a fire. She must have thought the same thing, because she hurried outside, telling Luke and I to stay where we were. When she came back in..." Flora's expression flickered slightly, "I-I'm not entirely sure what happened next… sorry." I placed by hand in my pocket, withdrawing the silky item.

"I think she attacked you." I put in, showing her the hair ribbon, "Look at the indents; they were made when she gripped it with her nails." Flora mouth went into a little 'o' shape as she understood what I meant.

"When I finally realized what was happening, I was stuck in a small space. I now know that it must have been the Laytonmobile's trunk, but I didn't realize it at the time. I knew we were moving, but I had no idea where we were going. So I just tried to close my eyes and sleep I guess."

"Is this what you remember too, Luke?" Remi questioned. He nodded.

"Yes, it is." He replied, "But why would she want to kidnap us in the first place? That's something that bothers me."

"I'm afraid it wasn't the real receptionist." The Professor explained, "It was Don Paolo."

"Oh…" was all Flora could say. We were all indulged in a comfortable silence, one of which that my mind was set to work, adding up all the facts.

This time, I wanted to beat the Professor to it.

"I think," I announced after a pause, "I know just what happened." Everybody looked at me expectantly, waiting eagerly for me to continue. "Earlier on today, although I'm not sure when, Don Paolo got ahold of your car keys, Professor. After the interview was complete, he moved on to stage two of his plan; kidnapping somebody. He didn't care who it was, though. Had Remi and myself been in Luke and Flora's position, it probably would have been us. He activated some of the smoke bombs outside, causing the receptionist to check out the scenario. It doesn't take a genius to work out what happened next."

"He took her out of the scene and stole her identity." Luke mused in wonder. I nodded.

"After that he came back inside, then he tried to take you two. I think Flora put up a bit of a struggle, though. He put you in the trunk of the Professor's car, first making you come in contact with one of the little pins. Since you didn't have anybody to wake you up, my guess is the effects probably would have lasted longer. But when Paolo made his way back to the building, he lost the car keys, thus why he didn't take the car in his window of opportunity to escape after you'd unmasked him, Professor." Again, the whole room was silent, and I suddenly had the feeling that I'd made a mistake. But when Hershel's face spread into a smile, I realized it was correct.

"Very well done, Kaity." He said, almost proudly, "I couldn't have done better myself."

"It all fits!" Remi murmured, "Why didn't I think of that?" I couldn't help beaming; was this how the Professor felt all the time?

My good mood completely vanished when I realized the exact scenario.

"Oh!" I exclaimed in a tiny voice, tears springing into my eyes. My heart accelerated as I thought over everything, knowing what was going to happen next.

"What is it, Kaity?" Flora said urgently, coming to my side. I bit my lip, looking over to the Professor. His smiled had too faded, and his expression was somber. He knew what had to happen.

"I-I'm…" I began, my voice shaking uncontrollably, "I'm leaving." Flora gasped, eyes going wide.

"No…" she said in a pained voice, "NO! You CAN'T!" She began sobbing, tears completely covering her face.

It broke my heart to see her like this. Flora and I… we'd become friends. _Best_ friends. Heck, that didn't even cover it anymore either! She was like a sister to me, nothing could separate us. The Professor had tried when we first travelled to the country, but she still followed, somehow convincing Remi and Luke to help her out. Don Paolo had tried to take me, but Hershel hadn't allowed it. And even just a few hours before, we were sure she was lost. However fate didn't allow it, leaving the item of escape for Paolo abandoned.

After everything we'd been through, was this the end? The time when we'd have to say goodbye to one another?

I hugged her tightly, never wanting to let go.

* * *

I never got to sleep that night. Believe me, I tried. Oh how hard I tried, because that way I'd forget my troubles, even if it were only for a few short hours. But it would be worth it to get rid of the nagging pain in my chest, one that wouldn't seize.

Flora managed to get some rest at least. After the crying stopped, that was. She stayed right by my side, almost as if she was scared that I would fade away any second. To be honest, I wondered that myself.

The voice knew I'd accomplished my goal. Would she soon _force_ me to leave?

I sighed, hopping off the couch. I carefully made my way outside, not wanting to disturb anybody. The moon shone beautifully in the sky, almost as if the whole scene was nothing more than a dream. I bit my lip, deciding on what I had to do.

It would be better for everyone if I just left now.

But there would be a risk in that, wouldn't there? What if they thought I'd been kidnapped by Don Paolo? They wouldn't put it past him.

A note would be the best way to solve that problem. But what would I write?

I headed back inside the inn, taking a notepad and pen from one of the bedside tables. I sat down, setting to work on the letter. My last form of contact with them all.

_Everybody,_

_I'm so sorry that I'm leaving like this. I feel it would be best for everybody if I give you a clean break, dwelling on the fact that I'm about to leave won't be good for anybody. We've completed our goal, I must take my leave now._

I paused for a moment, unsure how to continue. I suddenly remembered the Professor's kind generosity; how he took me in when I had no other home, believing my story that nobody else would believe.

_Thank you so much, all of you. Hershel, for helping me out when I needed it most. Remi, for always being strong and kind. Luke, for being a bright light when everything else was dark. And of course you, Flora, for being the best friend anybody could ever ask for._

_I'm sure we'll all meet again one day. I'll never forget any of you, I promise._

_Yours forever, Kaity Fisher._

I folded the note, placing it on the counter. They wouldn't miss it, surely. I took another piece of paper, something else that could possibly save myself and my uncle's life. Addressing it to Mary, I began writing down dates. The year my parents met, the date they got married and the date I was born. I was tempted to write the date of their deaths, the date my whole life changed forever. I was almost about to write the date I went to the party, the date that Sarah got the ammunition she needed to take out my uncle. But I didn't.

Some things are best left untold.

I left that note next to the other, sighing. I was set to go.

"Kaity?"

I turned around in shock, meeting the gaze of the Professor. I inhaled sharply, unsure how he would react. His face had no emotion shown on it, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"You're planning on leaving tonight, aren't you?" he said. It was more of a statement than a question. I nodded, not bothering to hide it.

"Yes." I admitted, "I figured that it would be best for everybody." Still, there was no change in his expression.

"Perhaps, and perhaps not."

"I can't face Flora when I leave." I explained, "She was so upset today with the mere thought of me going, saying goodbye would be too hard. For both of us."

"The decision is up to you." He pointed out, "You can do whatever you wish; I won't stop you." Neither of us spoke for a while. I didn't know what the Professor was thinking, but I was reflecting on my time in the past. So much had happened… the dance, saving St Mystere, meeting my dad and Sam again (in a way), being captured by Paolo… I never wanted to forget a single thing of it.

"Thank you, Professor." I said softly, "For everything. I'm sorry for being such a bother, though." He smiled kindly.

"You were never a bother to us, Kaity." He said sincerely, "And it's the duty of every gentleman to help a lady in need."

"Of course."

I closed my eyes, getting prepared to speak with the voice. To my surprise, she spoke first.

_Are you ready to leave?_ she asked. I hesitated.

_Of course I'm not, _I replied mentally, _but I don't suppose I have a choice, really._

_Haven't you learn by now, Kaity? The world is full of choices. _she told me, _It was my choice entirely to bring you here in the first place; I never had to._

_I suppose not._

_So I will ask once more; are you ready to leave?_ she asked kindly. I nodded determinedly, knowing that I'd done my job.

_Yes, I am._

The world around me immediately began spinning, and I felt a wave a nausea wash over me. Just before I was sucked into darkness, I heard the Professor say something.

"We will meet again in the future."

Somehow, this little fact brought me hope.

* * *

I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but I eventually opened my eyes carefully. I wasn't actually sure if they were open, to be honest; the area around me was so dark that it was like having my eyes closed. I could see nothing but my own body.

I decided to explore my surroundings. After all, I wanted to know just where I was exactly. I stood up, noticing that there was no ground beneath me, and made my way through the area at a steady pace. I searched around me frantically, hoping to see something… _anything!_ Being in the dark wasn't something that I was comfortable with. Though the area around me was spacious, I felt confined… _trapped, _even. I quickened my pace, eager to get somewhere.

No good came from this. I found myself back where I started; in the darkness. I closed my eyes (not that it helped), wanting it all to end.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask for help." A clear voice rang through the air, laughing lightly. I froze, my heart skipping a beat. I opened my eyes, finding myself looking at a woman. She looked back at me, smiling kindly. "Then again, I suppose you _are _rather independent; Hershel was the same. Or maybe you just forgot about me completely?" She giggled after that, "My goodness, Kaity! What will we do with you, running around everywhere! There is no place to go, you know."

Just as Mary had described, she was beautiful. The voice that I had heard the past months suited her perfectly; a kind voice for a kind person. Though I had never seen her before, my gut instinct told me exactly who it was.

"Are…" I began, "are you Claire?"

* * *

**-_- and so the identity of that voice has been revealed! Hope ya liked the chapter… to be honest I'm not sure if I do :/**

**Saving Sam is still in the lead by two votes! If this doesn't change by the time I next post another chapter, it will be the new title for the story :)**

**Also, you're probably gonna hate me for the next chapter; I completely tear apart basically everything that's said in the Unwound Future. Heck, I even add some of my own 'special' logic. So you have been warned! I need to do this for everything to fit, anyway; I'll try to make it as believable as possible. Actually, the next chapter could be the last one… depending on how much I write. We'll see…**

**~Clide**


	31. Many Questions and Answers

**Sorry for the wait. I… um… *searches for a good excuse* *curses when she doesn't find one* Guess I just haven't been all that motivated. Last chapter only got two reviews, and this chapter is pretty much just talking. Hopefully it isn't too bad, though.**

**EDIT:**** GAH! I NEED TO GET THIS STORY FINISHED YET I HAVE NEXT TO NO MOTIVATION WHAT SO EVER TO COMPLETE THE LAST TWO CHAPTERS! THIS ONE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IN THE WHOLE STORY, YET IT SUCKS AND I HATE IT AND JUST DON'T WANT TO WRITE IT! Life gets in the way for me… a lot. Especially since I recently dislocated my knee (again) and found out that one of my so called 'friends' actually hates me :/ Now I'm all insecure and s**t.**

**But you guys probably don't care about all that crap and are just here to read the chapter, so I'll stop rambling :/**

* * *

Claire looked at me, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

"I see you've worked it out, Kaity." She said softly, "I'll admit that I'm impressed; after all Hershel only really mentioned me to you once." I looked at her, my eyes going wide.

"So it's true?" I confirmed, "You _are_ Claire?" She rolled her eyes, sighing lightly.

"To a certain extent, yes." I frowned, not understanding what she meant.

"_To a certain extent?_" I quoted, "I… I don't really understand what you mean by that, sorry." She smiled.

"It's only natural for you to be confused. There's no need to apologize." Claire looked out wistfully into the distance, perhaps because she was unsure what to say next.

"Wait…" I said, a thought suddenly occurring to me, "the Professor told me that you… well, _died_. So how are you talking to me now? How did you take me to the past in the first place?" A sheepish grin appeared on her face, and too my immense horror she began to let off a soft glow. I could see it lighting up her, and me as well, however it did nothing to penetrate the darkness around us.

"What the…?" I murmured, stepping back in fright. Just what was going on?

Claire, on the other hand, seemed quite calm by the whole ordeal. She sighed, examining her hand with curiosity.

"Hm…" she said thoughtfully, "I wondered when this would return. Don't fret, Kaity; this glow is simply a sign that I have regained enough energy to travel again. To be honest, I felt quite lost without it. It's somewhat comforting, knowing that I don't have to stay in the same place for all of eternity." She looked at me, sighing again. "Then again, I suppose I'm in the same place wherever I go, really." I was thoroughly confused. Again.

"Claire," I said in a somewhat helpless voice, "Please, could you explain some of this to me? I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, really." She laughed, turning back to me.

"My apologies, Kaity; it seems I continue to forget that I haven't exactly filled you in on everything. Perhaps you would like to ask the questions, then?" I nodded, taking in a deep breath.

"You said that you were Claire, 'to a certain extent'." I began, "Could you please explain that to me?"

"I'm only the soul of Claire… nothing more." She explained, "My body is back on Earth, while I am here."

"Then why _are_ you here?" I asked, "Shouldn't you go… wherever all the other souls go?" She somehow found this amusing, letting out another laugh.

"I didn't welcome you here, did I?" she said, "Silly me. Kaity, welcome to time." The last word seemed to echo around us. I felt a cold rush sweep through me as the meaning of her words sank in.

"Time?" I whispered in shock. She nodded.

"Or rather, the place where you can travel through time." She clarified. I closed my eyes, unable to believe it. A few more questions formed in my mind.

"So what time are we in now?" I questioned, "My time… your time… which one is it? "

"We're in every single moment of every single day." She replied, "Whether it's the past, present or even the future, we can get there." I whistled, wondering how she was able to understand all this, let alone explain it to me.

Time was a subject that had always fascinated me. When exactly did it start? What exactly was before time? Will it continue on forever, or will it someday just come to a halt? Some days I would spend hours on end pondering this, however I rarely ever came to a conclusion. And when I did, it was usually a paradox, or 'a never ending cycle of nonsense', as the Professor put it.

I decided to leave that main subject alone and move along to my other questions.

"How are you here? Aren't you dead?" Looking back on it, I probably sounded rude… tactless, even. However Claire never showed any signs of being insulted. She paused, looking away into the darkness. She closed her eyes, and a peaceful expression showed on her face.

Time (or whatever we wanted to call it) passed slowly, however I felt that there was no need to rush Claire for her answer. It was clear that, for this question, she was unsure of herself.

"I'm not dead." She said softly after a long pause. "I never was, not really. Well, perhaps for a little while. Possibly. To be honest, I really have no idea. I know I'm not alive, but dead? That doesn't seem like the answer either."

"Oh-kay…" I mused, confused immensely. It was clear that Claire had been thinking over the question herself for a while, but not even she had come to a conclusion.

"Do you have any idea how you're here?" I inquired, trying to sound politer. She paused for a few moments.

"Indeed I do. It's only a guess, however I have a strong feeling that it's right."

"I'm interested." I hinted to her. She smiled softly, and I could have sworn that the light around her shone just that little bit more.

"Is that so? Well then I'd better tell you of my suspicions." She took a deep breath, and I suddenly had the feeling that it was going to be a long (and possibly a little boring) explanation.

"You see Kaity," she began, "when I was… living, I was a scientist. Actually, no, I suppose I was more of an assistant. However, people told me that I had the true aura of a scientist… they said that my dedication offered me a promising future." I nodded, remembering that the Professor had said something about this before. "Soon after I had started my course at university, I received an offer from a man named Dimitri to go and learn some first-hand experience by working with him and his lab partner, Bill Hawks." She cast me a glance, almost as if she was expecting me to interrupt. I did.

"Whoa!" I said, thinking over what she said, "When you said 'Bill Hawks', surely you didn't mean…?" She nodded, confirming my suspicions.

"Yes. Bill Hawks, once the prime minster of England, used to work at the same laboratory as Dimitri and myself."

"Wow…" I mused, remembering a project I had to do for school on him. I'd never found any information about him working as a scientist, yet I believed every word Claire told me. "What happened next?"

"The subject we were researching was time." She explained to me, "Not only that, we were also building a time machine." She laughed, but it wasn't comforting this time. It was cold and bitter, like she regretted what she'd done. "We were fools, blinded by our selfish desire to succeed. We tried to tamper with the laws of nature… and for that, we payed the ultimate price. _Death_."

I shuddered, looking down at the ground (or whatever it was) beneath me. I had no idea how to respond to the information Claire was telling me, so I decided that the blank, no emotion, path would be best.

"The machine wasn't ready. Dimitri knew it, Bill knew it… even I had a small inkling myself. Nonetheless, Bill decided that it was time to test it on a human subject." She went quiet then, and I instantly added all the pieces together.

"It was you… wasn't it?" She sighed, nodding regretfully.

"Yes."

"What went wrong?" I questioned, completely forgetting about boundaries. Claire's tale intrigued me; I wanted, no… _needed_ to know more.

"I'm not entirely sure how it happened," she mused, "but something within the machine malfunctioned. I was shot forward into the future, a mere split second before the machine exploded. It completely destroyed our lab, along with the apartment building next to it. Ten people died."

"But wait!" I protested, "If you were shot into the future, then shouldn't you be alive?" She smiled sadly.

"My body had to return somewhere and sometime, didn't it?" she said matter-of-factly, "I couldn't stay there forever. I felt a searing pain, and I knew it meant that I would soon have to go back to the past. Dimitri had explained everything to me… and I knew that as soon as I left the future, I would die. However, it wasn't so. I wasn't sure how, or when, but as I was supposed to returned to the past, I found myself here." I was stunned, completely speechless. This was all so much to take in…

"So you're saying that… your body was destroyed, but your spirit was still time travelling when it happened, so that's why you're here?" To my surprise, she simply shrugged.

"I think you hit the nail directly on the head, Kaity." Claire said, "However, remember this; it's all just a hunch.

"Of course." I replied, although I had the strangest feeling that we both knew it was more than that.

"Have I satisfied you, Kaity? Are there any more questions?"

"Maybe just a few." I admitted. She sighed.

"I expected nothing less… you've been living with Hershel, after all. He does tend to inquire quite a bit... maybe a little too much."

"You've explained how you're able to travel through time and all, but how did you manage to take me along with you?" I questioned curiously. Her expression fell.

"Ah. Well, I'll admit that it was purely a selfish desire… perhaps I shouldn't have done it. I stepped out of this world and into another, all the while risking the chance of paradoxes and many lives being lost. However, I'm glad I chose you to travel back through time, Kaity; it seems you've received the answer to your questions while keeping the future relatively undisturbed."

"Wait a second!" I blurted out, "When I asked for more time just before you were going to take me back to the future the first time, you said that you'd have to take the protection off me, so my actions could disrupt the future. How were you protecting me in the first place?"

"To be honest, I didn't realize I was doing it." She murmured, "However, when I looked into the future while you were in the 'past', I saw that absolutely nothing was different. It was as if you hadn't travelled back at all. But then I realized; the past you were in back then… it was fake."

I blinked a few times, thinking of ways to respond. My mind went blank.

"A… fake?" I said lamely.

"I'm afraid so." She replied, "If you wanted to, you could have pushed people off bridges and they would still be in the future. But I realized that, if I wanted to truly let you stay, I'd have to put you in the _real_ future and let go of all my ties with you. I didn't have enough power to support you any longer; it was up to you from there on. What I did could have drastically shifted the future beyond repairs. Next time, I'll stick to the fake side." I raised an eyebrow.

"_Next time?_" She smiled.

"Seeing as this was a success, why not? I could help people discover the truth, Kaity. This time I might not put them so close to Hershel, though." I shrugged.

"You could really help the future, you know."

"I wouldn't go that far." She admitted, "But yes, perhaps some of the world's mysterious could be unraveled by doing this."

"I wish you good luck." I said sincerely.

"Would you like to return home now?" For a moment, I imagined the Layton household when she said home. With Flora's terrible cooking and Luke's non-stop chattering…

It pained me to know that I was no longer part of any of that.

"How will we return?" I said, a terrible thought occuring to me, "I… I won't have to wait for fifty years to get back to my time, will I?" Claire let out a surprised giggle.

"Kaity," she said seriously, "if you really want to do that, then be my guest. But I'm warning you, it would be like walking to another country, far far away. It's much faster to do things _my_ way." I sighed with relief, noticing that the glow around her was becoming brighter and brighter by the second. It was almost time.

"One more question?" I asked guiltily, guessing that Claire was probably sick of me by now.

"Of course, Kaity. What is it you wish to know?"

"Do you meet the Profess- I mean Hershel, in the future?" She smiled mysteriously.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Without warning, she grabbed ahold of my arm, and before I knew it, we were spinning around at an amazing speed. I was terrified, so I squeezed my eyes shut. However I could tell that the area around me was becoming lighter and lighter, at last penetrating the darkness.

_Farewell, Kaity…_ Claire said to me, becoming nothing more than a voice in my head once more, _I'm sure we'll meet again someday._

* * *

**My goodness, it's 1:05am here, and this chapter is finally complete. And it's only a week overdue! Please note the sarcastic happiness.**

**So, I really hope that wasn't too hard to follow. If it was, I apologize, feel free to leave me feedback or PM me, and I'll answer any questions you have about it.**

**Congrats to** **rAwrXdiNo3, whose idea 'Saving Sam' won the new title competition! Thanks for voting guys! Winner, please PM me an idea/prompt for 'Random Layton Tales' (soon to be renamed 'Epic Layton Tales') and it will be the next chapter! Again, congrats and thanks for the idea! Actually, also thanks to ardx, who suggested 'Kaity's Lost Future'. Better luck next time! :)**

**~Clide**


	32. Returning Home

***sobs* Last official chapter… was kinda hard to write. So I hope it turned out alright (hey, that rhymed! Sort of.).**

**Also, I changed the title in case you didn't notice :)**** Kaity's Lost Aunt is no more… it is now Saving Sam! If you wanted to see rAwrXdiNo3's prize, then look at the latest chapter of Epic Layton Tales (yep, I changed that title as well :P). Ok, I'll stop advertising now and get on with the chapter.**

* * *

Spinning.

That's the main thing I remember about time travel. Everything around me was a blur as I apparently made my journey home… back to the future. It made me feel sick, and part of me was sure that the remains of yesterday's lunch would come to revisit me. Thankfully, they didn't.

Again, my brain felt disconnected from my body. I tried to move my arms, legs… anything! But it was no avail; my limbs didn't respond to my calls, nor did the spinning seize. I think that part of me accepted this fact and attempted to get used to it, while the other part of me continued to fight.

Though my mind was a mess, I did recall passing moments. My memories from when I was in the past, that was. I saw Flora's face… Luke's face… Remi and Hershel's as well. Mary's, Sam's… even my father's, Peter. The conscious part of me felt sadness that I would never see them like this again.

After what felt like eternity, I felt a hard thud as I landed on the ground. I knew immediately that I could now move my body, but even more importantly, I knew that I'd arrived.

I was back in my own time.

I meekly opened my eyes, having no idea where I'd ended up (Claire had _conveniently _left out that detail). I was shocked to find that I was once again in the church.

A sickening feeling grew in the pit of my stomach as I saw Sam standing by the alter, all dressed up in his suit. His best man from last time was also there, and I had a slight suspicion that somebody (the bride) was walking behind me. I didn't have the guts to turn my head to see who it was.

That's the last thing I remembered before blacking out for good.

* * *

"Kaity?" somebody said in a panicked voice, shaking me slightly, "Oh my God, Kaity, are you alright? Please, answer me!"

I could hear this person perfectly; however I chose to persist with the unconscious act. I was back in the future; I knew that, but what if nothing had changed? What if Claire was mistaken, and that I had been in the fake past all along? Heck, what if I had imagined the whole thing! I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, not wanting to find out.

"Somebody, get help!" the person said frantically, "Kaity, if you can hear me, please, show some sort of sign. Are you hurt?" Again, I chose not to respond.

I truly believed that I was back in the old future. That it was Sam and Sarah's wedding day, and that it was the bride from Hell trying to get me up again. A few tears leaked out of my eyes as I thought about all of this.

I'd failed. Even after all of the months I'd spent in the past, trying to piece together everything, I'd still somehow managed to stuff it all up.

Something didn't quite add up, though. If it truly was Sarah next to me, trying to wake me up, why was she being so nice? I knew we were in a church surrounded by loads of people, but she actually sounded genuinely concerned. And her voice… it seemed a little different in general. Then again, I hadn't heard it in ages; I'd probably forgotten what it sounded like.

_Oh, for goodness sake, Kaity!_ Claire's voice said in my head, annoyance clear, _Open your eyes already!_ I bit my lip, doing as I was told. My breath was caught in my throat as I saw the scenario in front of me.

The woman in front of me was not Sarah, for one. She had light brown hair that was tied up into a bun and a kind looking face. She reminded me slightly of Claire, however I knew it wasn't her.

"Mary…?" I whispered (half in disbelief), examining her more closely.

She looked different, there was no denying it. Older, much older. But I knew it was the same Mary I'd known in the past.

Her face relaxed when I opened my eyes, and she sighed with relief. She put her hand on mine, smiling comfortingly.

"Yes, it's me." She confirmed, "Are you alright, dear? You look a little pale; perhaps we should stop the proceedings for a few moments."

"Proceedings?" I asked, blinking. She nodded.

"Don't you remember, dear? Sam and I are getting our wedding vowels renewed today!" she announced. I nodded, letting all this sink in.

I… hadn't failed?

"Kaity!" Sam bellowed, making his way toward me quickly, "Are you okay? Are you injured?" I hesitated before replying, part of me taking in my uncle's appearance.

It was good to see the older Sam once again.

"I-I'm fine." I assured them, realizing that it was the truth, "I just… tripped and was dazed for a bit." I stumbled to my feet, trying to prove my point to them. I looked down and realized that I was wearing my old yellow dress, the one that I'd edited in the past.

"Are you sure, Kaity?" Sam said, concern clearly in his voice. I nodded, realizing that my dizziness from time travel had almost completely worn off. I smiled at them.

"Yes, I'm sure. Let's continue the show, shall we?" I said in the brightest voice possible. Sam and Mary exchanged worried glances before nodding.

"If you're sure…" Sam muttered. I smiled broadly, gathering up my bridesmaid's bouquet before the music began once more.

* * *

"Mary, can I talk to you?" I requested. She turned to me from where she was sitting, frowning slightly.

"Of course! Is there anything wrong?" She patted the seat next to her, and I sat down, wondering how to word everything.

The wedding ceremony was over, and now we were at the wedding reception. Friends and family alike had gathered, making it quite a nice event. Sam had been by Mary's side for pretty much the whole night, but he had left his seat only moments ago. I decided to seize the opportunity while I could; this might be my only chance tonight, after all.

"I've just come from the past." I blurted out, "When I collapsed… that was me coming out of time travel." She looked at me, her face set in an expression of pure shock, before relaxing and smiling.

"Ah…" she mused, "I wondered when this would happen. I figured it would be sometime soon, however I never expected it to be today." She laughed slightly, "Show's how bad my intuition is, huh?"

"I'm so glad everything worked out…" I said, letting out a nervous laugh, "I mean, when I first came back here I was scared that nothing had changed. For a moment I thought you were-" I halted there, realizing that mentioning Sarah probably wasn't the best idea.

"Though I was…?"

"…somebody else." I finished lamely, "I'm glad everything's turned out the way I'd hoped. Mary looked down at her lap, twisting her hands uncomfortably.

"Kaity…" she said in a tight voice, "There's something you should know. You might want to prepare yourself for it." I looked at her in fear, wondering what she was going to say. To be honest, part of me knew already. "Your parents… they died in a car accident quite a while ago. Ever since then, you've been living with Sam and myself. I-I'm so sorry!"

My reaction was probably the last thing that Mary expected. I simply smiled at her, letting her know it was all alright.

"It was supposed to happen, Mary." I said quietly, "In the original future it happened, so I wasn't expecting anything to change when I came back here." She looked at me, wide eyed.

"Kaity!" she said after a small sob, "W-why didn't you tell me? I could have prevented it, I really could have!" I shook my head.

"No, Mary." I said softly, "I already asked so much of you, it wouldn't have been right. And what if you hadn't been able to prevent the car crash? I couldn't let you feel that sort of guilt, you didn't deserve it. Besides, I wanted to change as little as possible; I was sent to the past for a reason, and I completed it, plus more than I should have." Mary looked at me, and I had the feeling that she was still quite unconvinced.

"You're sure?" I nodded.

"Of course! Mary, you did such a great job. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't here. And Sam would probably be dead." She gasped.

"What do you mean 'Sam would probably be dead'?" she demanded. I sighed.

"Long story." She pouted, knowing that that would be all the information she'd be getting out of me. I watched her rummage through her handbag before pulling out something. It was a piece of paper.

"What's this?" I murmured as she handed it to me. I opened it, reading what it was.

I recognized my handwriting almost immediately, and quickly figured out it was the note I'd written to her fifty years ago, although to me it was merely a few hours ago. It had all the important dates written on it, ones that would greatly affect the future.

"This has been my bible for the past few years." She announced proudly, "But I think it's time I gave it back to you." I smiled, folding it carefully and slipping it back into her handbag.

"Thank you." I said, not just meaning for the note. Suddenly, a question was brought into my mind. "Have you kept in contact with Flora?" I asked in a rush, "What about the Professor, Luke as well? Are they all okay?" She grinned.

"Yes, I have. Flora's birthday's coming up… she'll be 67, can you believe it? Luke's just turned 62, I think. As for the Professor…" Her face darkened slightly, "he's now 87, as far as I know… and last year he had a stroke." I gasped, hands covering my face.

"That's awful!" I burst out, "Is he alright!" She looked down.

"He can't walk properly anymore, and he lost a lot of his memory." She informed me sadly, "But he still remembers most of the people around him, which is better than nothing, I guess."

"I wonder if he remembers me…" I pondered.

"You'll find out soon enough." Mary said, a glint of something in her eye. I looked at her, confused.

"What?"

"I invited them here today; Flora, Luke, the Professor, Remi… even Henry." She explained, "Henry was the only one who could make it to the actual ceremony, though. The others should be arriving soon."

"Henry's here… _now!_" I squeaked. She nodded.

"You might want to say hello… according to Flora, he missed you when you left." I felt a stab of pity hearing this.

"Where is he now?" Mary scanned the crowd, so did I. I wondered whether I would recognize him if I _did _see him.

"There." She said, pointing to a man sitting by a window. I sighed.

"Thanks, Mary. I'd better go and say hello." I told her.

"Good luck." I left my seat, making my way towards him. I finally arrived at his table, and I realized that nobody else was there. He was sitting on his own. I drew up a chair, wondering what do say.

"Um… hi, Henry." I said. I waited, but in the end I got no reply. I examined him more closely. "Henry?" Still, no reply. It was only when I heard soft snores that I realized what was going on.

He had fallen asleep.

I laughed quietly, standing up again. Somehow, I felt that things were better this way, him not seeing me again. I wouldn't know whether to tell him everything, regardless. He'd probably forgotten my by now..

After all, I'd been gone for over 50 years. He would have moved on, surely.

I began to make my way back to my seat, but not before I saw a group of people enter the room. Thrill and excitement rushed through me when I realized who they were.

I quickly changed my path, heading straight towards them.

"Good evening!" I greeted, decided to play around a bit first, "Welcome! We've been wondering when you'd arrive!" One of the woman looked up at me, smiling kindly. I didn't need her to introduce herself before I knew who it was.

"Kaity!" Flora said kindly, patting my shoulder, "It's been a while, hasn't it? You've grown." I couldn't help laughing; was this how Flora had been acting around me in the future?

"Yes…" I said, nodding in agreement, "50 years _is_ a long time, isn't it?" Flora froze, as did Luke and Remi. Even Hershel seemed to realize something was different.

"I-I'm sorry?" Flora said, stuttering, "Could you please repeat that, dear?" I grinned broadly.

"My goodness, Flora!" I said in a joking tone, "Since when have you called me dear? I'm your best friend, not your granddaughter!" She continued to stare at me, expression shocked, before letting out a loud sob and wrapping her arms around me.

"Kaity!" she cried, "You've been to the past, haven't you!" I nodded.

"Indeed I have."

"Finally!" Luke blurted out, fiddling with the hat on his head, "Gosh, I wondered when we'd be able to talk about all this with you!" I laughed.

"Well, fire away! I bet you've missed the real me, huh?" He shook his head.

"I wouldn't go _that_ far," he began, "but it was rather lonely without you at home. Flora was moping around for ages, all miserable." Flora pouted.

"Shut up!" she hissed. I looked at her, expression apologetic.

"I'm sorry I had to leave. But you understand why I had to, right?" She nodded slowly.

"I suppose so." She admitted, "However I would have liked to say goodbye, you know." I avoided all eye contact with her, suddenly feeling guilty.

"A clean break…" I mused, "I thought it would be best. I don't think I would have had the strength to say goodbye at any rate."

"I guess we'll never know." She hugged me once more, sighing with relief, "I _have _missed you Kaity, you have no idea. All these years have gone by before I've had a chance to see you again… and now I'm 66. You're lucky to be young, trust me." I smiled.

"I'm still your best friend, Flora. No matter what."

I decided to turn my attention to Remi, who was standing next to Hershel. The pilot looked a little worn out, but that didn't stop the kind smile on her face.

"Ah, Kaity." She said, "Good to see you again!"

"Likewise." I promised, "You still flying planes?" She laughed slightly.

"Not anymore, no."

"That's a shame." I said sincerely. She shook her head.

"Oh well, we've got to grow up eventually, don't we?" she said a little sadly, "But you win some, you lose some." She showed me her hand, and I immediately noticed an engagement ring, as well as a wedding one. I whistled.

"Congratulations! Who's the lucky man?"

"Only 46 years late, Kaity!" she teased, "And it's Hershel." I looked at the older man, who was looking back at me intently. He was fairly easy to recognize, even without his signature hat on. He had aged a great deal of the years, however some things stayed the same. Like his eyes.

"Kaity?" he asked, studying me closely. I smiled, feeling somewhat appreciated that he could remember me, even after all this time.

"The very same."

"Tell me…" he said slowly, as if he was choosing his words carefully, "The voice… it was Claire, wasn't it?" I nodded, mentally slapping myself for not thinking that he would have figured it out.

"Yes. It was." He closed his eyes for a few moments, and I wondered if it would be safe to ask him the next question. "She mentioned something about… meeting you again. Did she?" He opened his eyes again, nodding.

"Indeed. I did get to see her again, even if it were only for a short amount of time." He had a small smile on his lips, "I used to miss her a lot. But I'm lucky to have you all with me, helping me solve mysteries and puzzles, aren't I? I have a feeling that I've forgotten a lot of them though… I know I've been on more adventures than I remember."

"I'm sure you'll remember in time." I said softly, another stab of pity going through my chest.

* * *

The night soon came to an end. One by one the guests departed, leaving only myself, Sam, Mary, Flora and a few more people whom I didn't really know.

"It's so weird, Flora." I admitted. She looked at me curiously, and I saw a lot of the 16 year old her there. Some things stayed the same.

"What is?"

"All of this." I explained, "Seeing you all again, but this time you're different. It was the hardest seeing the Professor. It hardly seems fair that you had to grow up, while I was stuck somewhere in time." To my surprise, Flora laughed.

"Don't worry about us, Kaity." She ordered, "As you said yourself, we grew up. You can't prevent it, it happens to everyone. As for the Professor… it could have been worse, right? Imagine if he had of lost all of his memory, or even his _life_." I took in her words, realizing that she was correct.

"Do you think it was worth it?" I questioned, "Me going back in time in the first place?" She thought about that for a few seconds before nodding.

"Yes, it was." She said firmly, "Think about you. You met me, you saved Sam's life, as well as St Mystere. You also gained a caring aunt in the process. I don't see any negatives." I smiled at Flora's enthusiasm, but there was a question that had been bothering me.

"Flora," I began, "I need to know where we stand. We… we're still friends, right? Despite the age gap and everything else?" To my shock, she shook her head.

"No, Kaity." She said solemnly, "We're not friends. Haven't you learnt by now that you're my _best_ friend? Always have been and always will be." I smiled, closing my eyes and thinking it all over.

Time… a mystery that continued to elude us. Either way, I couldn't wait to see what it had in store for me.

Little did I know that my life was _far _from becoming normal once again.

* * *

**5 hours. That's how long it took me to write this chapter (if you include me stopping to have dinner, dessert and go on the interent :P).**

…**so that's the end. Hm… did I leave it on a cliffy? Perhaps so… pondering about whether I should do an epilogue, at the moment though I probably won't. Depends on what people want, I guess.**

**I really want to thank all of my reviewers. rAwrXdiNo3, for reviewing a lot of chapters lately and giving me the suggestion, 'Saving Sam' for the title comp. Ardx, for also reviewing a lot (even though I haven't heard from you in a while) and suggesting 'Kaity's Lost Future' for the title comp. All of my anonymous reviewers, who should hurry up and get a bloody account. Whatchamacallit123, who had reviewed loads on deviantART, as well as Zulenia, who also comments via DA. porkehXx, who is awesomely awesome. Sophietheamazingdog, who flatters me with her praise on DA. And last but not least, Water Lily, who had faithfully reviewed pretty much every chapter with tips on how I can improve, as well as pointing out my errors (which there are a lot of :P). Have no idea where you've been the last few chapters, but if you read this then know how much I've appreciated your help :)**

**THANK YOU TO ALL YOU EPIC PEOPLE! If I've missed somebody, please contact me so I can give you an apology cookie and add your name to the list! This is all from memory, so I think I've done pretty well :D**


	33. Epilogue

**Ok, I have given in to doing an epilogue. Not sure why… I guess I'm putting off editing another one of my stories as much as possible *looks guilty* Oh well, if I've proof read and improved 70,000 words in two weeks during the hiatus, then 35,000 words in over two months should be easy enough, right? I have more time because of the holidays as well, so that's good.**

**Also, this is rather short, I apologize. And I think I left it on a bit of a cliffhanger. Actually, this chapter sort of is pointless… oh well. I wrote it anyway, so suck it up and be grateful :P**

* * *

**Layton's POV:**

Kaity Fisher.

The moment I saw her at the wedding the other day, I knew who she was. Though no memories came to me directly, I remembered her name, and that she had had some sort of connection to Claire. I found myself talking to her, saying things that not even I understood. She spoke back to me though, answering my questions (which there were quite a lot of), and somehow, I found myself understanding everything. As if she'd been a big part of my life once upon a time.

Regardless, the question of who she _really _was had been playing on my mind for the past few days. Everything she'd said… I believed her, of course. Because I knew that somewhere, I'd heard and witnessed it all. A few of those memories had returned to me.

But that wasn't what was troubling me.

Something was missing from my memory. And even though I couldn't be sure, I had the slight suspicion that it wasn't because of my stroke.

I knew… yet I didn't. It was hard to wrap my head around.

"Are you alright, Hershel?" Remi asked, entering the room. She smiled warmly, handing me a cup of tea.

"I'm quite alright, my dear." I assured her before taking a sip. Remi's tea-brewing skills had improved over the years, almost to the point where she could match them to my own. "Just thinking."

"You've been doing that quite a bit the last few days!" she said brightly, "It must be something rather important, if it has your attention this much." I chuckled, closing my eyes.

"Perhaps so. I'm not really too sure." She sat down beside me, letting out a sigh.

"It's Kaity, isn't it?" I opened my eyes, looking at my wife lovingly before nodding.

"You know me far too well, my dear."

"Of course I do! I've been your wife for quite some time now!" She leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before we both sat in a comfortable silence, each in our own separate thoughts. It was a while before Remi dared to break it, saying something that completely took me by surprise.

"To be honest, I've been thinking about her myself." She mused, "Something seems a little… odd. I remember Kaity well, but I feel I'm missing out on something here. Almost as if there's something that I've forgotten." She shook her head, laughing lightly, "Then again, I'm getting old. Perhaps it's nothing."

"I have the same feeling." I informed her, "I'm sure of it. It's not because of my memory loss, I know it's not. I remember her, Remi, but not just from that one time she was in the past." She froze, staring at me in shock.

"Would this be your intuition speaking, Professor?" she asked, trying to make her voice sound like Luke's. He chuckled.

"Perhaps so… it's been a while. I simply can't remember the last time I've had a hunch this strong." I went back into my thoughts once more, trying to solve the puzzle.

It had been a while since I'd solved one of those. My mind was a complete mess, so it took me a little longer than it usually would have to think about the problem. And after that, I still had to strain for ideas to come. I sighed unhappily, wishing that I was young once again. Things were easier back then… a simple problem like this would have been quickly solved by Professor Layton and his trusty apprentice Luke.

"Remi," I began, a thought occurring to me at last, "you don't think that… well… do you think it's possible that Kaity went to the past… again? A second time?"

"_Again_?" she asked in confusion. I nodded.

"More than once." I confirmed. She shook her head, laughing lifelessly.

"No! Of course not!" she exclaimed, although I had the feeling that she wasn't thoroughly convinced herself, "Tha-that would be impossible! I would have remembered it for sure… we would have _known_ about it, dear." She picked up the empty tea cups, quickly abandoning the room.

I sat in silence, thinking about everything. _That would be impossible_, she had said. But why? Why would it have been impossible? She'd travelled to the past once, who's to say that Claire hadn't take her there another time?

To find the truth, all you have to do is eliminate the impossible. But deep down, I knew there was nothing impossible to eliminate this time around. Did this mean I was right?

I leant back in my armchair, thinking about her. Kaity, I mean. And memories, different ones this time, slowly unlocked themselves from my depths of my mind, revealing themselves at last.

* * *

**So, whoever you are reading this, you might be wondering whether or not I will be writing a sequel. After all, I left this without a real ending. Well, I'm not sure. I might, if people want it. Only problem is that I would have no idea what to do.**

**Actually, that's sort of fitting. I never have any particular plot planned for my stories, yet one seems to form in the end. Fun fact: this story was meant to be about 12 chapters max. I never intended or expected it to last this long (33 chapters, 70,000 words and about six months of work). Funny story, I was looking through a notepad the other day, and I found one of my outlines for this story that I wrote ages ago. Unfortunately, I can't find it anymore, and I don't remember exactly what it said, but let me tell you the basic stuff that was different:**

**.Henry was supposed to know that she was from the future**

**.She was supposed to leave on the night of the dance**

**.Saving St Mystere would come before the dance**

**That's all I remember, sorry :P**

**Good bye for a while, I'll be working on other things besides fanfiction for some time, so don't freak if you don't hear from me (not that anybody would).**

**~Clide**


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